PUMA scores big with Women’s Professional Soccer

Just prior to the start of the Women’s Professional Soccer season, global sport lifestyle brand PUMA and WPS announced an exclusive partnership making PUMA an official founding partner of the new league and an official sponsor of all WPS franchises.

The multi-year partnership makes PUMA the official sport and lifestyle apparel, footwear and equipment supplier of WPS, including the official WPS Match Ball. In addition to on-field performance wear, PUMA will outfit the athletes and teams at all WPS-related events, activities and WPS appearances in sportlifestyle apparel. This partnership kicked off last month  and will see PUMA collaborating with WPS to enhance the game of women’s soccer and will act as the foundation in the PUMA Women’s category.

That’s just the start for PUMA, which will have its name and logo on the league’s balls, uniforms, goalkeeper equipment, even sports bras. “Women’s soccer is on a tremendous growth pattern in the U.S.,” says Jochen Zeitz, chief executive of PUMA. “This is a huge opportunity for us.”

PUMA’s decision to join forces with WPS is part of an effort to target its marketing to young women. The company already has a footwear deal with Brazilian star Marta Vieira da Silva  who is widely recognized as the best female soccer player in the world and  currently playing for the Los Angeles Sol. PUMA also has a deal with U.S. national team player Leslie Osborne, who will be playing for FC Gold Pride.

Given PUMA’s name recognition and reach in soccer, the deal is a milestone for the new women’s league especially amid a global recession so kudos to PUMA.

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ASR Runway: Summer 2009 Fashion is Electric

We didn’t attend the last ASR (Action Sports Retailer) show but it’s always fun to check out what’s new, hot, and on display. Best known for action sports products, the ASR show floor generally represents the entire industry and apparel and swim lines are increasingly driven by fashion elements. So what’s on tap for this summer?

Seasonal collections are introduced months ahead of time and the Summer 2009 show, with it’s big, bright florescent colors, was tagged “electric”. Fortunately, GrindTV was on duty at ASR to catch all the fashion action on the runway in a show sponsored by Seventeen magazine. The best surf, skate brands for girls were on display including American Apparel, Billabong, Body Glove, Hot Tuna, Oakley, Reef, Roxy and more.

Burton Mighty Pants – Warm & Cozy

Winter may be almost over but check this out: Imagine wrapping your legs in an electric blanket that feels just like a regular snowboard pant, and you start to get the idea behind the Burton Women’s LTD Heated Mighty Pant.

Known for killer clothing and accessories, not to mention a nice selection of rockin bags with built-in speakers, Burton has a long tradition in fusing technology with textiles so it’s no surprise they’ve added Mighty Pants to their line-up.

Flip the switch on this luxurious Burton pant, and envelop yourself in cozy warmth. A gentle and completely safe electric current heats this pant’s Thermo-Tex ink-printed liner. You control the temperature with a small rechargeable battery pack that fits in your pocket. Added insulation provides warmth when you’re not using this revolutionary technology and Burton’s two-layer Dryride Durashell fabric keeps you dry all day.

Burton gave the Mighty Pants its Sig Fit, or classic fit, which means they’re loose but not super baggy, and they’re a tad longer in length than Burton’s other styles. When you ride hard or temps creep upward after a powder run, open the inseam mesh-lined thigh vents, and get some fresh air.

The best and most surprising part about these pants is that they are actually designed for women – isn’t that a nice change of pace? And if you thought it couldn’t get any better, you might want to think again because Burton Mighty Pants are also currently on sale for under 120 bucks (originally $180).

Star in the new “Me, Myself” adidas campaign

Adidas has put together a cool campaign called “Me, Myself” to support the launch of their new women’s apparel website.

What makes it cool? You could be the new face of adidas and star with WNBA MVP Candace Parker in a series of ads and marketing initiatives.

Participants upload their picture and share a personal, inspirational story that other visitors can view and vote on. The site also allows for voting via Facebook and other social networking apps. At the end of the contest, three winners will be chosen to be in a photo shoot with Parker in Los Angeles which will be the basis of the adidas marketing campaign.

The contest officially launched this week at www.adidas.com/women. Voting begins March 1.

Pop Up Spaces – Nike & Quiksilver set up temporary digs

October 9, 2008 – Calling all Hollywood hipsters.  

You’ve probably noticed an increase in temporary retail installations, from gallery-like shopping spaces with one-off exhibitions to mobile units bringing innercity-chic to suburban areas.  If new products can come and go, why can’t the stores that display them do the same? Here’s a couple of spaces that have recently popped up in LA.

Nike Sportswear@ The Montalbán
Nike has set up camp at the historic Montalbán Theater in the heart of Hollywood offering a temporary retail experience for consumers in the market for select Nike Sportswear apparel and footwear; there’s even a NIKEiD studio in the balcony!

True to its legacy as the oldest functioning theatre in Hollywood, Nike Sportswear at the Montalbán will host film screenings every Tuesday night. Exclusive studio pre-releases, Nike commissioned short films, documentaries and international film festival faves are screened free for the public.

Nike has also partnered with local artists and public school art programs, offering workshops and a design series for kids. Scheduled through the end of October, Nike’s presence at The Montalbán has received an overwhelmingly positive response thus far and is certainly worth a “pop-by.”

Quiksilver Site LA
In conjunction with the launch of a new women’s collection, the Huntington Beach-based extreme sports label Quicksilver has commissioned six creative women to take up temporary “residence” in a branded multi-purpose space featuring communal work stations and exhibition/event space in LA’s Silverlake neighborhood.

Over the course of the next year, Quiksilver is sponsoring the residents’ respective pursuits by providing them with valuable resources and tools pertaining to their interests, as well as the ultimate career-builder, major exposure.

The residents, including a fashion blogger, singer/songwriter, architect-in-training and a bicycle safety activist, are working on individual projects in the communal environment, which is also home to a series of events, performances and educational forums open to the public.

Much like brands that sponsor major athletes to perform better, Quicksilver aims to sponsor the cultivation of this creative community. There are lots of cool events taking place so be sure to check it out.

Passion for Fashion: Maria Sharapova and Dara Torres in the news

September 8, 2008 -After winning three silver medals in Beijing, Olympic swimmer Dara Torres has mastered another challenge: walking the runway at New York Fashion Week. Torres went for fashion gold on Sunday, when she modeled two looks in Charles Nolan’s newest collection. Nolan’s show is always fun, thanks in part to his use of “real” people on the runway. This season’s show included a holistic healer, a grandmother, a ferry boat captain, and a 12-time Olympic medalist.

The 41-year-old Torres modeled two looks for the presentation of Nolan’s spring collection at the designer’s Chelsea studio. Her first look, an old-style swimsuit featuring a blue-and-white striped tank top and navy swim shorts, which she modeled carrying her two year old daughter, showed off her chiseled legs. Her second look, a dancing dress made of black jersey and silk taffeta, reflected ageless sophistication.

Wonder what’s more nerve-wracking? Walking the runway or swimming at the Olympics?

In other news, Cole Haan announced that  three-time Grand Slam champion Maria Sharapova will be the face of a new sportswear clothing line debuting in the spring of 2009.

The new line, called Cole Haan Sporting, will include men’s and women’s footwear and accessories. Items will include flats, boat shoes, duffel bags and tennis racquet bags and will for between $115 and $550.

Sharapova, 21, will collaborate on the fall 2009 season, the company said. The former world number one has a longstanding passion for fashion and is considered a style icon. So it seems fitting that Cole Haan Sporting (a subsidiary of Nike) will embody sport style with a collection inspired by nautical, court, track, and golf.

“Cole Haan Sporting proves that fashion and technology can work together to change the way women think about and wear sport-inspired product,” said Sharapova. “I look forward to working with Cole Haan to bring new innovations to this leading fashion brand with such a rich history.”

Can’t wait to see some of the pieces in the collection. What do you think of the partnership?

USTA serves up fashion in NYC with Heidi Klum

September 3, 2008 – What does Heidi Klum have to do with tennis? Well, the supermodel and “Project Runway” host has hand-crafted a limited edition tee specifically for the ‘08 Open. A portion of all proceeds will go to Unisphere Inc, a non-profit organization which maintains and preserves Flushing Meadows-Corona Park, home to the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center and US Open.

The United States Tennis Association is now offering Klum’s butterfly-inspired tee along with other U.S. Open-branded apparel and related merchandise in NYC. US Open SoHo is a pop-up store to give fans who cannot attend the Grand Slam event a chance to purchase the exclusive merchandise. Also available is a U.S. Open Breakpoint DVD board game, a vintage Tad Davis clothing line and co-branded U.S. Open products by Under Armour.

Besides the Soho store, exclusive U.S. Open merchandise is also available at Saks Fifth Avenue, Ralph Lauren, airport kiosks and Madison Square Park.

Alyssa Milano: Sports fan and sportwear designer

Jan. 27, 2008 – Last year, “Charmed” star and notorious baseball fan, Alyssa Milano, created TOUCH, a sportswear line that offers cute Major League Baseball jerseys, hats and jeans for women.

Now, she’s teamed up with G-III Sports to add several more sports franchises, including the National Hockey League (NHL), the National Football League (NFL), National Basketball Association (NBA), and the Collegiate Licensing Company (CLC), to the collection.

Milano explains: “Female fans are loyal, passionate, stylish and feminine. It’s these core principles that are behind my design philosophy. I am very excited to bring TOUCH apparel to female sports fans everywhere.”

Now, even Jessica Simpson can get cute Dallas Cowboys’ gear!