Image via Complex Original
Last week, Rihanna was named as the new creative director for Puma, in which she'll be responsible for the women's aspect of the brand. In the past, the singer has been seen in sneakers, mostly Air Jordans, but she's also become a style icon — being given the official honor by the CFDA in 2014.
Besides name recognition, Rihanna moving to Puma feels like a big deal. She has an eye for trends and has been involved with brand campaigns in the past, most notably her collection with River Island.
This also isn't the first time that Puma has worked with female artists, either. The brand recently put out collections with Solange and Sophia Chang. But Rihanna's fame and influence is on another level, and this move will undoubtedly get more style-forward women to pay attention to Puma.
But what do the girls who obsess over sneakers the most, the female sneakerheads, think about this venture? We reached out to 10 women, who either work in the sneaker industry or are noted sneakerheads, and got their takes on the matter. Their opinions varied, but they were honest and reactionary. To hear what they had to say, check out What Female Sneakerheads Think of Rihanna As Puma's New Creative Director.
Kimmy Kamish, Model
Instagram: @kimberly_kamish
Location: Los Angeles
Rihanna is undoubtedly an international icon. Adding creative director of Puma to her already extensive resume diversifies her international brand. I am certainly looking forward to seeing Rihanna bring some of the unapologetic edge to Puma's brand.
Sonia Ben Madhkour, PR (OBCM Paris)
Instagram: @sonia_bmr
Location: Paris
Getting Rihanna is a brilliant business strategy, because the brand was apparently looking to revamp its image and boost sales. This should do the job. She has great style and inspires a lot of women. This may be Rihanna's biggest brand partnership challenge to date. Definitely a smart move from Puma.
Megan Ann Wilson, Blogger/NBA Stylist
Instagram: @shegotgame
Location: Toronto
I'm feeling a bit conflicted about Rihanna's role as Creative Director and Brand Ambassador for Puma. The brand ambassador portion of her new role makes sense. A lot of fitness brands, like Under Armour, Nike and Self Magazine, are hiring models like Gisele Bundchen, Karlie Kloss, and Joan Smalls to push their fitness gear into the fashion space and make it accessible to more groups of women. Active models have become the new #fitspiration and Rihanna has a model frame (tall, slender, fit). She has both high-fashion and street appeal.
On the creative direction front, I can't help but laugh. Every major celebrity brand has hired designers that put "celebrity" design ideas in motion. It takes a village to create a line of sportswear and footwear. The title of "creative director" lost a lot of meaning, especially for those of us who do design work. Rihanna has versatile, often interesting style mixing in sporty pieces with high-end clothing. But the collection should be lifestyle and fashion-focused, not on fitness—push sporty style but not gym gear. I'm curious to see how the unsung Puma designers can take Rihanna's style cues and make a cohesive collection.
Jen Villamia, Sneaker Room
Instagram: @jentwice143
Location: New Jersey
I want to have high hopes with the idea that Rihanna is going to bring some of her flavor. If she can manage to pull off something with her tomboyish yet girly style, then it could very possibly be something the sneaker scene has been missing. Now let’s just hope it doesn't end up being some total skittle vomit nonsense that females hate. Going to go on the optimistic side, don't let me down, RiRi.
Tina Nabati, Blogger (Shoe Queendom)
Twitter: @shoequeendom
Location: Los Angeles
I think Rihanna as creative director of Puma will be fantastic. I've been a huge fan of Puma's slight edge on classic styles for women the past few years, and with Rihanna on board I hopefully believe the styles can get even more risky, fun, and out-of-the-box.
Mel Zelazny, PR (Overkill)
Instagram: @vonwunderbar
Location: Berlin
I’m really down with the fact that Rihanna was named as the creative director of Puma. She is loud, edgy and super stylish. With her huge following, her creativity, and sense of fashion, I think Puma made the right choice. It’s definitely time for the next “Yeezy," this time made by a female artist and sneakerhead.
Anna Bediones, Blogger (Finish Line)
Instagram: @atothebed
Location: Toronto
I think it's a good look for Puma. She's influential in fashion and sneakers and can certainly integrate a style representative of the female sneaker culture into Puma's brand. My only concern is the "creative director" title. It's one thing to be a tastemaker and another to actually lead the creative direction. Either way, I'm very interested to see where this goes.
Michelle Carigma, Blogger (Finish Line)
Instagram: @_modernfit
Location: Los Angeles
I believe it would be a positive change for Puma's image now that Rihanna is the creative director. Rihanna has created her own identity in the fashion industry, and being able to apply her fearless and recognizable style to women's training will definitely make her mark to Puma. Her persona alone will reflect the women's line with empowerment, purpose, and a unique sense of creativity.
Emily Oberg, Editorial Producer (Complex)
Instagram: @emilyelaineoberg
Location: New York City
I think the choice to make Rihanna the creative director of Puma is an interesting one. Rihanna isn't exactly known for being a "female sneaker head," or being a creative director. She's great at what she does, but it's kind of like what Kanye said in his BBC interview in regards to Lady Gaga becoming the creative director of Polaroid: "I like some of the Gaga songs — what the fuck does she know about cameras?" But who knows, maybe Rihanna is low key a creative genius. It's more than likely, though, that the decision is for publicity and brand exposure purposes.
Caroll van den Brom, Illustrator
Instagram: @careaux
Location: The Netherlands
I don't know how I feel about it yet. Besides the fact that this will be good for Puma, I think it will also be good for the girls out there who weren't really into sneakers yet. Rihanna is a big influencer, and she might change people’s feelings on Puma. I'm curious about the products she will be given, and what she will make of it. Sophia and Solange did amazing things with their collabs, and I hope Rihanna will top this. For now, Sophia is still my favorite collaboration that Puma has released.