Puma names A$AP Rocky as creative director of Formula 1 partnership

Sportswear brand Puma has named rapper A$AP Rocky as creative director for its Puma x Formula 1 partnership, with his first capsule collection to be released later this year.

In a statement, Puma said its long-term creative partnership with A$AP Rocky would be rooted in the motorsport business with a focus on “the intersection of the sport and streetwear”.

A$AP Rocky will develop and design bespoke capsules for Puma’s new partnership with F1 and influence the brand’s seasonal design directions. This will be a phased approach, added Puma, with an “extremely limited” apparel and accessories Puma x F1 collection dropping later this year.

This collection will provide a “sneak peek” into a series of capsule collections in 2024 surrounding high-visibility F1 races.

Puma was made the official sponsor of F1 in May, giving it the right to produce F1 branded apparel, footwear, and accessories, and it believes that the rapper’s “fashion knowledge, style and cultural expertise will bring a new perspective to the growing F1 audience”.

Commenting on the appointment, Maria Valdes, chief product officer at Puma, said: “We couldn’t be more excited to be working with A$AP Rocky. He’s incredibly talented, deeply thoughtful and invested in our brand.

“He will showcase his vision with elevated F1 race capsules globally which attract new audiences and undoubtedly disrupt the track. In the future, he will influence the broader PUMA x F1 range and will continue to help push sport and culture forward.”

A$AP Rocky named Puma x Formula 1 creative director

Puma’s partnership with A$AP Rocky will take an incubator-style approach coined “in the lab,” explains the sportswear brand, to begin the creative exploration “for where he can take the category”.

For the remainder of 2023, the rapper will influence visuals and video content for the brand and his first campaign explores car culture in America and the impact it has on streetwear and fashion.

In 2024, A$AP Rocky will focus his creative attention on several Grand Prix races beginning in Miami. These collections will be conceived and designed by him in partnership with the Puma and F1 teams. He will also curate activations at each of the races and serve as the creative director for all the marketing efforts surrounding these collections.

Looking ahead to 2025, Puma said that the rapper will “fully immerse himself into the holistic product creative designs for all of the PUMA x F1 product,” spanning from racewear to fanwear to fashion. In addition, he will continue to participate in marketing “in an ongoing effort to bring disruption to the category via innovative product design and marketing concepts”.

On his new role, A$AP Rocky said: “Working with brands as iconic as Puma, and as innovative as F1, has been truly inspiring. When the world sees what we’re doing, I believe a shift will happen with how brands approach taking risks and working with diverse creatives.”

Oliver Boden, head of licensing and gaming at F1, added: “This announcement marks an exciting milestone in our partnership with Puma. A$AP Rocky’s creativity and commitment to innovation aligns perfectly with F1’s vision and development in apparel. We look forward to collaborating with him to design and curate the Puma and F1 range and insert F1 into new cultural and lifestyle spaces.”