Meet The Man Behind Rihanna's Puma Fenty Collaboration In Delhi

There was a time when sporting Brothel Creepers was limited to mostly subcultures; the punk rockers and goths of the UK. Never has a shoe had such a resurgence as when PUMA and Rihanna teamed up and turned creepers from underground accessories to high fashion style statements. At the forefront of it is Yassine Saidi, the head of PUMA Select, the department responsible for the company’s lead in fusing culture and fashion by digging through its rich history, innovating and combining the aesthetics, style and creativity of PUMA with collaborators.

Saidi himself prefers calling their work “co-creation” instead of collaborations, and his sentiment stands true when you see the process of it all. Here the artists are given creative direction, who then along with PUMA make authentic products that represent their identities and this direction has proved fruitful when you see the tremendous reception that Fenty PUMA by Rihanna, ‘Run The Streets’ by The Weeknd and Big Sean, have gotten. These are more than just shoe drops, instead, whole lines of lifestyle-fashion products that have resonated deeply with consumers around the world. Going way beyond the concept of ‘athleisure’, there’s a balance between lifestyle, culture and sportswear – staying true to PUMA’s identity.

In a first, the creative genius will be travelling down to India’s national capital, giving you an opportunity to pick Saidi’s brain at #HGStreet. On March 18th, it’s all culminating in a one-day celebration of art, fashion and music. This is a full-blown salute to every Indian sub-culture that’s dared to keep things fresh. Your part in all of this? Cop, shop, drop, interact, inspire, be inspired, kick out and kick back at this 14-hour celebration of distinctively (and wonderfully) Indian sneaker and street culture.