Are you ready for some BadGalRiri sportswear?
Puma has just announced that Rihanna is its new creative director. The CFDA Fashion Icon winner will be taking the reins of the sportswear brand's womenswear collection as part of a multi-year contract. BadGalRiri, you done good.
WWD reports that Rihanna flew into Puma HQ in Herzogenaurach, Germany on Monday for her first meeting with the brand's design team. The singer was there to lay down the law on the line's direction as well as pick out new colours and styles.
Riri announced the news on her Instagram, writing: "Hello #PUMA" from Germany and posting pictures of herself in an all-white ensemble that included the brand's signature white trainers:
The company says that Rihanna will "will work with Puma to design and customize classic Puma styles as well as create new styles to add to the Puma product portfolio".
She will also join footballer Mario Balotelli and Jamaican sprinter Usain Bolt as a global brand ambassador for the company's AW15 campaign.
“Signing Rihanna is a fantastic step for Puma,” said Puma CEO Bjørn Gulden. “Her global profile, her charisma and individuality, her ambition – all these things make her a perfect ambassador for our brand. With a strong portfolio in football, running and motorsport, finding an inspiring partner for women’s training was very important. Rihanna was a natural choice for us. We’re delighted to have her as a partner, and we’re looking forward to what’s to come.”
So how much is Riri's contract worth? Before the deal was inked, a source told NY Daily News that Puma is paying Rihanna just over $1 million. The signing is part of Puma's push to transform the performance sports brand into a lifestyle brand.
Rihanna is the second musician Puma has enlisted in its big push. It hired Solange as an art director in February, releasing two collections of technicolour sneakers that the True singer designed in collaboration with artists and designers like Gerlan Marcel of Gerlan Jeans.