BERLIN – Barbadian superstar Rihanna keeps ringing up the big deals as she was named on Tuesday the new creative director for activewear brand Puma.
The pop star, 26, will oversee the company’s women’s line – including clothing and shoes – during her “multi-year partnership”.
She will also star in the brand’s fall 2015 ad campaign – and be one of its global brand ambassadors alongside Jamaican track star Usain Bolt and Argentine soccer player Sergio Agüero.
According to a Press release, Rihanna will “work with Puma to design and customise classic Puma styles as well as create new styles to add to the product portfolio”.
The Grammy winner flew to the brand’s headquarters in Herzogenaurach, Germany, on Tuesday for her first design meeting.
She posted pictures from the trip to Instagram yesterday, and in all of the images she’s wearing white Puma sneakers.
For one of the photos, she shows just her shoes with the caption “Creep” and the Puma hashtag. In another, captioned ‘Such a f***** lady’, she reveals an all-white outfit to match the sneakers.
The brand said partnering with Rihanna was a logical decision.
“Signing Rihanna is a fantastic step for Puma,” said Bjorn Gulden, Puma’s chief executive officer. “Her global profile, her charisma and individuality, her ambition – all these things make her a perfect ambassador for our brand. With a strong portfolio in football, running and motorsport, finding an inspiring partner for women’s training was very important. Rihanna was a natural choice for us. We’re delighted to have her as a partner, and we’re looking forward to what’s to come.”
She will start influencing product collections as early as 2015. The move comes as Puma, which is owned by French company Kering, is trying to reposition itself as a lifestyle and activewear brand, instead of just the latter. The company did not disclose how much it was paying Rihanna. It is currently the world’s third-largest sporting goods brand, behind Nike and Adidas.