Rhuigi Villaseñor x Puma
The RHUDE founder talks about his latest PUMA collaboration with Bouncewear in 9 questions.
At age 11, Rhuigi Villaseñor, moved with his family from Manila to Los Angeles. His father wanted him to be a doctor, but he was drawn to art and fashion. His first design hit was a $200 cotton t-shirt printed with a black and white paisley bandana pattern that tapped into hip hop's attraction to West Coast Chicano culture. In 2015 he used his mother's laptop to launch Rhude, his luxury ready-to-wear brand. In 2018, rapper Kendrick Lamar wore a pair of $795 Rhude track pants when he accepted his Pulitzer Prize and that's when things really kicked off.
What inspired you for your latest collaboration with PUMA?
The shoes I used to wear when I was younger and how I wanted my PUMA's to be.
What made you chose to work on the Suede for this collection, and what did it mean to you to create your own version of a PUMA classic?
The Suede, in my eyes, is probably the most iconic silhouette of the brand. It has been an honor to work on a classic.
What makes an icon?
What they create and how it makes people feel.
Why do you think the Suede is such an icon in the sneaker world?
The Suede has been re-iterated and used as a reference for many other brands but also it has withstood time and trend and proves to be a lasting classic.
CHECK OUT THE COLLECTION
For his latest collaboration with PUMA, RHUDE founder and creative director Rhuigi Villaseñor has taken on an iconic silhouette in the Suede.
A complementary range of apparel is released alongside Rhuigi's PUMA Suede. The collection includes tracksuits, shorts, short-sleeve and long-sleeve T-shirts, and a top, all offered in a washed look with neutral colors.
Describe the design elements you incorporated into your Suede; what makes it unique?
The fat laces are nostalgic and seem to be where the youth draw their inspiration from currently. What makes it unique is the leather inlay that changes the silhouette of the shoe.
How do you incorporate your own personal design language while working with PUMA?
I use my personal stories and things that feel most honest and closest to me when I design and implement PUMA's classic details
Great, timeless designs last for all time - what does For All Time mean to you, and what makes a design a classic?
For All Time means sustainability because nothing is more sustainable than a product that you don't want to get rid of. Time makes a design a classic.
If you could gift your Suede to anyone, who would that be?
Jay Z
