When Puma decided to issue the next iteration of its famous Cali trainer, it turned to one of India’s best known designers, Masaba Gupta.
Called the Puma x Masaba collection, the designer used her trademark patterns to decorate the shoes.
She was inspired by the notion that “Cali is not a sneaker, it’s a state of mind”, creating a limited edition of sneakers that are more than just great looking footwear, but that also help raise awareness about the mental health issues of anxiety and identity.
Speaking at the launch of her first ever sneaker collection, Gupta explained, “I feel today’s generation wants to move and grow at the speed of light without even pausing for a second to take a better look at their mental health.”
“Anxiety almost seems like a curse on this generation and therefore the anti-anxiety shoe just sheds light on this issue,” she went on to say, “Identity is another issue that needs to be addressed, I believe a lot of our validation comes from various external factors and amidst that the generation has forgotten its true identity.
“The Identity shoe is a reminder for this generation that the key to finding yourself lies in knowing where we are, what work we do and always remembering the purpose.”
Using the shoes almost as a blank canvas, the resulting designs have been free drawn by Gupta, in both black and colour, with bold geometric zigzags and graffiti snaking around the shoes.
Being entirely hand drawn, the result feels urgent and spontaneous, especially given that only fifty pairs have been made, and they sold out almost immediately after going on sale.
This is the second product collaboration for Gupta this month. A few days earlier she unveiled a make-up range created with the e-tailer Nykee, that features eco friendly cardboard packaging, in her signature print designs.
No stranger to being under the spotlight, Gupta is also the daughter of Antiguan former cricketer, Sir Vivian Richards OBE, widely held as one of the greatest batsmen of all time.
