Fashion
Believe The Hype About Puma x Sophia Chang
Brooklyn goes hard. From Santigold to Lil' Kim, hip-hop artists have made their claim to fame off of the ever-evolving phrase and borough. Spike Lee throws parties there (often), and Jay Z might as well spell his name in shining lights across the Brooklyn Bridge. It's a lifestyle. And Puma's newest collection with Sophia Chang, which launched Friday, has just given Brooklynites not only another reason to love where they live, but to also wear it.
Chang, an illustrator and designer, was brought on by the shoe brand to dedicate a collection to the history and culture oozing from Brooklyn. Enter Empire State of Design: Chang's perception of the borough, which comes to life via out-of-this world women's wedge sneakers; cityscape track jackets; and a black-and-white, heavily illustrated backpack bearing the landmarks, signs, and quips that only a true Brooklynite will understand. The men's and women's collection is for everyone from the native New Yorkers with the thick accents and love for the subway to the newcomers thirsting to get their fix on the illustrious city. In an interview with Nylon, Chang says that her Puma collection can be for the trendy fashionista to the mom on the hunt for low tops. Yep, this collection is even mom-worthy.
Although Chang undoubtedly illustrates all the things there are to love about not only Brooklyn, but New York in general, what's most interesting is that she is a native of a different borough: Queens.
So, how was she able to bring to life a borough that she doesn't even call home.? Well, it's the intersections of the city that the collection actually invokes, and Chang's own experience and understanding of the boroughs is intertwined in her designs. "There's also a term, 'Believe the Hype,' which has been used over and over again and its [sic] actually a sign that you can see on the BQE when you're leaving Queens and entering Brooklyn," Chang tells Nylon. And that very hype that she is speaking of, is the same one that is circulating on the web as people congratulate her on a job well done.
Sneakerheads and trendy ladies, alike, can shop the collection now on Puma's website. Products range from $30 to $130.
