Yassine Saidi of PUMA & Andrew Rogers of McQ Talk PUMA x McQ and the Transition of Designer Footwear Collaborations

As the line between the sportswear and high fashion brands continues to fade, striking the balance between the integrity of creating high-performance pieces while hitting up-market aesthetic demands has become an increasingly important point of discussion. Here, Andrew Rogers of McQ and Yassine Saidi of PUMA discuss the collaborative line with PUMA while weighing in on the shifts occurring between the two traditionally separate worlds.

“PUMA approached the design from a technical, performance-focused stance, whereas McQ is known for its creativity. We each brought something different to the table.”

Andrew Rodgers of McQ

Can you introduce yourself and your role at McQ?

I’m McQ’s Brand Director, which means I look at every facet of the brand, every small detail, from both a creative and a business standpoint. I make sure that the language and creativity of the brand guides the business direction – we start with the creative agenda and the business is shaped around that. I’m interested in ensuring the brand is being talked about and stays relevant, and these things will guide the development of the business.

Can you discuss how the relationship between the brand and PUMA came to fruition?

PUMA had been working with Alexander McQueen for 9 years, becoming one of the longest-standing high fashion-sportswear collaborations and one of the most recognisable, so we already had a strong relationship. As the house’s younger sibling, McQ is heavily influenced by streetwear and global subcultures, and rooted in the rebellious London spirit of Lee McQueen who founded the brand, so it made sense to move the relationship with PUMA over to McQ. Although we each come from very different standpoints, the collaboration was interesting from the start, allowing us to start from scratch, working together every step of the process. PUMA approached the design from a technical, performance-focused stance, whereas McQ is known for its creativity. We each brought something different to the table.

What were the inspirations behind the most recent collection?

The FW14 collection was inspired by human anatomy, a reference to the Alexander McQueen archive. Cage-like styling is reminiscent of rib cages and tendons, and we re-purposed the marble-like prints from our ready-to-wear collections, which look great on PUMA’s iconic sporting shapes.

The transition with high-end brands co-branding/co-designing footwear with traditionally sportswear brand or sneaker brands is interesting. It’s this high and low balance. How would you describe this relationship and how it plays into the McQ brand?

References to British youth and streetwear have always underpinned McQ collections, so the relationship with sportswear felt natural for us. It was interesting for us to explore the uniform of subcultures and how that connects with sportswear, and also how that intersects with high fashion. The uniform of the street has started to dictate what designers show on the catwalks, so the influence of sportswear has grown, and we have always enjoyed exploring that relationship at McQ.

How necessary has the textile decision-making process and materials selection been in crafting PUMA footwear that makes sense for a brand like McQ?

Working with PUMA gave us access to a level of technical expertise and a choice of fabrics that hadn’t been available to us previously, and to manufacturing processes that would never normally be an option in the production of ready-to-wear. That was exciting and really drove the creative process.

As the brand looks to the future of an ever-changing and evolving fashion industry, is there any forthcoming projects that you can discuss?

We’re a creative, innovative ready-to-wear brand in the fast-paced contemporary market, so we have a constant stream of projects. At the moment we’re excited about partnering with some interesting artists and filmmakers for our Instagram take-over project, starting with Matt Baron towards the end of September.

“ When we design and introduce new silhouettes, PUMA’s sporting DNA will always be our starting point. This is why our collaborations remain authentic to the brand.”

Yassine Saidi of PUMA

Can you introduce yourself and your role at PUMA?

Before joining the PUMA brand 3 years ago, I worked in various sports brands across multiple departments, gaining a fundamental understanding of how a business unit functions. My position at PUMA is Global Head of Lifestyle Footwear and SELECT. SELECT is a newly created department within our Lifestyle Business Unit. Through SELECT we aim to attract an open-minded generation of individuals whose passion spans multiple arenas and not only conform to solely one trend. Just like everything we do, SELECT continues to use PUMA’s great sporting history as inspiration. I oversea everything from design, development, distribution and marketing.

What are the goals for the product you create within the “Lifestyle” and “SELECT” product tier?

SELECT fits within the Lifestyle category at PUMA. The product released through SELECT is usually collaborative with an individual, retailer or another brand. We re issue iconic styles in a premium execution with a limited distribution at the most exclusive retailers.

Can you discuss how the partnership with McQ developed and how it has progressed through the seasons?

Having worked with the Alexander McQueen brand since 2005, the transition to McQ seemed natural. The ethos of both McQ and Alexander McQueen remains the same. McQ feels like the perfect collaborator to explore the point at which performance and style collide. Through McQ we can authentically reach the fashion consumer who is still interested in that technical performance silhouette that takes a more premium execution.”

Has there been any challenges to maintaining the PUMA DNA throughout the various high fashion collaborations?

PUMA has such a rich archive in terms of performance and innovation. We are a sports brand and that will always be our DNA. In all of our collaborations, our heritage is always the starting point. We re-issue various styles, that at one point in time, featured the key performance technology in the market. When we design and introduce new silhouettes, even for fashion collaboration, PUMA’s sporting DNA will always be our starting point. This is why our collaborations remain authentic to the brand.

Can you discuss the design approach to the collection between PUMA and McQ and how the collaborative process flows?

The PUMA x McQ collaboration remains true to both partners, creating an authentic mix of sport and fashion. PUMA’s DNA is performance innovation while McQ are experts in the fashion field. Both brands have a rich archive, and when designing a new range, this is the first point of call.

For more on the collection, visit the PUMA x McQ microsite.