BALMAIN x PUMA
FEBRUARY 2023
Balmain Announces The Second Balmain x PUMA Collaboration
For his second Balmain x PUMA collaboration, Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing has skillfully melded Parisian luxury heritage and American basketball excitement into an incredible slam dunk.
“Obviously, I loved creating that capsule—but for this second time around, I really wanted to set our focus on the thrills of basketball. Over here, we’re all big fans of le basket and French people are extremely dedicated to their favorite American teams. Plus, honestly, is there any group of athletes more fashionable than basketball players? So, I’ve long believed that a mix of Balmain’s modern Parisian luxury codes and b- ball emotion would make for the perfect combination—and I am very happy that PUMA has joined with me and my team to help prove that hypothesis.”
Balmain x PUMA’s newest collection centers around a special take on the historic Parisian house’s Balmain Court. For the limited-edition collaboration, the house’s basketball sneakers have been transformed with a golden Balmain tongue label, Balmain x PUMA heel webbing and one-of-a-kind Balmain basketball shoe box. These special-edition Balmain Courts make very clear the distinctive luxury fashion-meets-sports blend of this partnership, pairing the finest Italian leathers with the latest groundbreaking performance materials—including high- rebound ProFoam and high-abrasion rubber for multi-directional traction.
The capsule’s clothing designs give a distinctive Parisian savoir-faire twist to a host of familiar American silhouettes, including the court-ready Balmain warm-ups and uniforms, as well as Balmain x PUMA cap and tees. There’s also a special varsity jacket design riffing on the signature Balmain Teddy jackets often spotted on the house’s runways during Paris Fashion Week. But it’s clear that the sure-to-be instant classic of this collection has to be the sleek, black-and-gold, Balmain-logo’d basketball.
Professional basketball players Skylar Diggins-Smith and Kyle Kuzma will be featured in the upcoming campaign for the Balmain x PUMA collab, with Kuzma premiering his favorite designs on February 8th before the Wizards vs Hornets match-up.
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THE BALMAIN COURT
PUMA partners with French fashion house BALMAIN for a new season to create
the first-ever playable luxury basketball shoe: the Balmain Court. This limited-edition silhouette is a powerful fusion of sport and luxury. A leather
upper is complemented with hits of performance mesh, plus PUMA x BALMAIN
cobranding at the tonque, midsole, and strap. All of this sits atop a ProFoam
midsole for cushioning and support on the court.
The Basketball will be available exclusively on Balmain.com from February 18th.
Presented in custom PUMA x BALMAIN packaging, the Balmain Court is as ready for the hardwood as it is for the collectors' shelves.
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The limited-edition Balmain x PUMA Court will be available globally on Balmain.com and at the PUMA NYC flagship store, beginning February 18th. It will also be available on PUMA.com, beginning on February 18th for most regions of the world, and from February 28th in the United States. The limited-edition Balmain x PUMA clothing designs will be available from February 18th on Balmain.com and at the Balmain flagships in Paris, Milan, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New York City and Miami. It will also be carried at Harrods Men (London), Printemps Homme (Paris) and Saks (New York).
ABOUT BALMAIN
More than 75 years ago, when Pierre Balmain first introduced his “New French Style,” it immediately became clear to all that his eponymous house was offering a distinctly fresh, bold, and feminine conception of haute couture, one which broke with many of the well- established conventions of the era. His audaciousness paid off. Pierre Balmain became one of the handful of young French talents who ushered in the mid-century golden age of couture and helped to re-establish Paris as the world’s fashion capital.
Since 2011, Balmain Creative Director Olivier Rousteing has been inventively building upon Pierre Balmain’s extraordinary legacy, while always remaining true to his own determination to design clothes that reflect the way his inclusive, powerful, and global Balmain Army wishes to live today. The result is a unique and instantly recognizable Balmain silhouette, style and attitude that highlights the singular craftsmanship of the house’s celebrated ateliers, while consistently referencing a rich Parisian heritage.
ABOUT PUMA
PUMA is one of the world’s leading sports brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories. For 75 years, PUMA has relentlessly pushed sport and culture forward by creating fast products for the world’s fastest athletes. PUMA offers performance and sport-inspired lifestyle products in categories such as Football, Running and Training, Basketball, Golf, and Motorsports. It collaborates with renowned designers and brands to bring sport influences into street culture and fashion. The PUMA Group owns the brands PUMA, Cobra Golf and stichd. The company distributes its products in more than 120 countries, employs about 18,300 people worldwide, and is headquartered in Herzogenaurach/Germany.
