Sportlifestyle company PUMA announced the appointment of Hussein Chalayan   as the Creative Director for PUMA, responsible for designing, creating and developing the sport fashion collections of the brand.

PUMA also acquired a majority stake in Chalayan's London-based fashion business and brand Hussein Chalayan. Through this long-term partnership with PUMA, Chalayan will have the opportunity to grow his ready to wear fashion collections.

As the press release elaborates further, 'Hussein Chalayan is a proven visionary in the fashion, design and art industries.'

Chalayan has indeed shown his visionary capability in designing Haute Couture fused with technology over a period of time, starting with the mechanical dress up to his latest creation in this weeks Paris Fashion week with a dress visualizing the 'Big-Bang' of the Universe with light points rotating around the wearer.

'As our Creative Director for our Sport Fashion business, Chalayan will bring his use of new technology, forward-thinking design and provocative point of view to PUMA,' said Jochen Zeitz, Chairman and CEO of PUMA. 'Acquiring majority shares of the Hussein Chalayan brand is giving PUMA the ability to move into a new space, expanding our reach to become the most desirable Sportlifestyle company in the world.'

 

In his position as Creative Director, based in London, Chalayan will be responsible for all creative direction for PUMA Sport Fashion collections and will touch all product categories including footwear, apparel and accessories. Chalayan will work hands-on with all PUMA respective design teams worldwide.

This partnership will be interesting to watch out also from the Wearable Electronic / Interactive Fashion perspective as both parts are either active involved or might have the desire to get involved into interactive apparel as this is the most active field of Wearable Electronic at this moment with many competitors of PUMA already in the business.

Source: Puma press release