This January, PUMA and Paris-based label KOCHÉ are celebrating women at the intersection of fashion and fitness with a collection that offers fresh take on empowered activewear and blurs the lines between performance and lifestyle.
Established by Central Saint Martins graduate Christelle Kocher in 2015, KOCHÉ has quickly become a mainstay in the fashion landscape. The brand is notorious for its unique DNA, based on traditional French know-how and craft, all of it updated through a distinctly modern take on fashion that fosters gender, body shape, social and geographical diversity.
For this collaboration, Christelle Kocher is leading the way, applying her couture knowledge to an activewear-oriented collection. “I am a fashion designer, but I am also a physically active woman. I started doing team sports at 8, competing in handball quite seriously until I was 18”, she says.
“Ever since, barely a day passes without me doing some form of physical exercise. I run, box and do yoga. So working with PUMA on this project gave me a unique, challenging opportunity to bring together my fashion expertise and the kind of technical elements necessary to good performance wear.”
Daring and versatile, the collection’s design is inspired by timeless staples of feminine fashion, rendered exceptionally comfortable, lightweight and movement-friendly. Spanning 15 different styles, it focuses on body-shaping silhouettes made in recycled performance fabrics including polyester and polyamide, as well as organic cotton. A neo-futuristic palette combines sophisticated shades of black, burgundy, royal blue and cream with color-shifting reflective treatments.
Elevated sports basics get a couture twist through construction and details: trousers and windbreaker jackets are completed with criss-crossed lacing elements. Tops mimic corsets through strategically placed stitching. Long-sleeve tulle tees bring a sense of delicateness to the silhouette. And leggings are decorated with an embossed lace-inspired motif. Accessories -including a spacious draped gym bag, a running waist bag and two different, classic-cut running shoes -complete the look.
“With the PUMA family, we designed these clothes both to help improve performance in exercise and to use as elevated basics mixed with ready-to-wear pieces”, says Christelle Kocher. “Ultimately, though, the collection’s goal is to support women in reclaiming their rightful place in the sports space, and to help motivate them stay active at a time when women are standing out as the movers and shakers in the active industries worldwide.”
The PUMA x KOCHÉ collection is available beginning January 7th 2023 at PUMA.com, KOCHE.fr, PUMA stores and selected retailers worldwide.
(Photos courtesy of PUMA x KOCHÉ)
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