It's confirmed, and likely to her brother-in-law Kanye West's chagrin. Puma has confirmed its partnership with Kylie Jenner a week after rapper and budding designer West put the brand on blast, tweeting that Jenner was his family. He indicated that she would not be collaborating with a fashion brand other than his own. Such is not the case, as Puma issued a statement about its new relationship with the reality star and style influencer. So, what, exactly is Kylie Jenner's role with Puma? Well, it's actually quite different than Rihanna's position with the brand.
Adam Petrick, the Global Director of Brand and Marketing, told Bustle via email, "I am pleased and excited to be able to confirm that Puma is indeed working with Kylie Jenner. Kylie will be featured in the brand’s Spring/Summer women's training campaign launching in April 2016. Kylie represents a fresh and exciting new era for fashion and we couldn't think of a more fitting and influential female to headline this campaign for Puma."
There it is in black and white. Jenner's role appears to be that of a brand ambassador who will appear in ad campaigns, rocking Puma gear. For now. Expect to see the teen pumping Puma on her highly trafficked Instagram, too.
Jenner's role is different than Rihanna's, which is that of Creative Director and a global ambassador.
When the news of Jenner x Puma first broke, Us Weekly reported that Jenner's collabo wouldn't be "full out" like Rihanna's is.
As the Creative Director, RiRi brings her "styling sensibilities and innovation to Puma's collections." Additionally, she "directly influences product collections" and works "in partnership with Puma's Internal Product Creation team." The style star also works "with Puma to design and customize classic Puma styles as well as create new styles to add to the Puma product portfolio."
Remember, her Rihanna x Puma Creepers were beyond cute and sold out instantly. This collabo began with a bang and the customer x fan reaction to the RiRi x Puma kicks suggests it will continue to soar.
While it appears that Jenner isn't being tapped to design at this point, and her focus in that area is likely on her new Kendall + Kylie collection, it seems like co-designing would be the next logical step.
The Puma statement doesn't say she won't be designing. It just says she is "working" with the brand and that could mean anything down the road. It could be purposefully vague.
That said, Jenner's street style slays and I think it could be only a matter of time before she and Puma collaborate for a specific Kylie collection. Maybe that's wishful thinking. But Puma was smart to snare Jenner now, at the height of her social media powers. It would be even more brilliant to have her creating or influencing pieces... as long as she isn't stomping on Rih's toes, of course.
Bustle reached out to Puma to see if there are any plans for Jenner to design. We'll let you know if we hear back.
But for now, let's get used to seeing Jenner in Puma gear and in campaigns, starting in April!
Images: Kylie Jenner/Instagram (3); Courtesy Puma (1)
