Puma and Trophy Hunting have collaborated on a new capsule collection. The range includes outerwear like varsity jackets, a heavyweight mesh performance skirt, biker shorts, leggings, and more. The pieces, co-designed by the Trophy Hunting designers Kari Cruz and Dustin Canalin reflect their commitment to purposeful design and authentic storytelling. Trophy Hunting is a Black, AAPI, and Latinx-owned brand that is dedicated to American sportswear. Puma and Trophy Hunting connected through June Ambrose, creative director of Puma’s women’s basketball category (Ambrose also was involved in bringing the range to life).
The 12-piece line is uniform-centric and heavily inspired by Cruz’s experience with actual athletic uniforms from school in the Bronx. Having a go-to look of everyday jewelry in addition to the minimalism that is associated with uniforms served as an inspiration for Cruz as she co-designed the collegiate-esque range. Cruz also pulled from her Dominican-American upbringing.
“I’m excited to see this collaboration between Puma and Trophy Hunting come to fruition, I love Dustin and Kari’s unique perspective on classic sport aesthetics,” Ambrose tells ESSENCE.com. “Having launched women’s basketball with Puma, it’s encouraging to see other stylistic interpretations of the category.”
Standing out amongst the assortment of pieces in the collection is Trophy Hunting’s take on a varsity jacket, it’s a preppy classic made modern in a luxe satin. Fully reversible, the jacket is lined in a luxe faux-fur camouflage print. This playful yet versatile fabric enhances the traditional silhouette.
The footwear in the collection features three reinterpretations of the Puma basketball shoes including the Clyde All-Pro, the Slipstream, and the Suede. They each were re-made with high-quality leathers and suedes to create a staple everyday luxury go-to shoe. The colorways arrive in deep green and stark white.
The hardware details and trims featured in the collection are representative of the Bronx’s fixation on gold jewelry. Bamboo-shaped hoop earrings are reinterpreted as a zipper pull on a reversible track jacket. Gold nameplate details are also seen as shoelace charms on the footwear and at the nape of each jacket.
“I’ve spent [over a decade] designing and providing creative direction behind the scenes for Puma and my relationship with them has been an incredibly fulfilling journey,” Cruz shared. “Now, I get to really lean into the moment with a Trophy Hunting collaboration and 75 years of Puma hoop heritage to back it up. This collaboration is a personal extension of my culture, life, and story. I hope that other women are able to see, feel, and connect with the collection as well.”
The Puma x Trophy Hunting collection is available on puma.com and alwaystrophyhunting.com. Prices retail from $96 to $196.