PUMA sharpened its claws at NYFW with ‘Futrograde’, their first ever standalone runway show that crossed over into the metaverse
September, New York City, the beginning of the global fashion season. It was muggy and the city was sprawling with impeccably and often excessively attired fashionistas desperately trying to gain access to the most exclusive runway shows and after parties. I was there courtesy of PUMA, a brand I have worked closely with for years, to celebrate their first ever standalone runway show: ’Futrograde’.
On the doorstep of its 75th anniversary, this show highlighted PUMA’s Forever Faster spirit – fusing history and heritage with innovation in design and sport performance. The physical show, showcased a selection of looks – from both current and upcoming seasons, as well as custom pieces – curated by PUMA Designer and Creative
Director, June Ambrose. They launched a parallel metaverse fashion show experience, called Black Station, that included exclusive NFTs with limited edition redeemable physical sneakers. The digital show experience is accessible at blackstation.puma.com.
The collection was broken down into Downtown: PUMA’s premium execution streetwear, with a focus on sustainability, Luxe Sport: A sophisticated reinvention of streetwear, with exaggerated dimensions, reinterpreted branding, and unexpected elements, Player’s Lounge: A reimagining of football aesthetics, celebrating fan styling and authentic, elevated materials, PUMA Tech: A technical streetwear collection made sustainably with visible functionality and a tech-style aesthetic, and Uptown: a Range of products that utilize premium fabrics and executions to create a curated streetwear look. The show also included collaborations with the likes of AC Milan, Dapper Dan, June Ambrose, Koche, MMQ, Palomo and PAM. The stellar runway cast included Davido, Winnie Harlow and Skepta.
