Paris, France — Global sportswear giant PUMA made a significant return to the prestigious calendar of Paris Fashion Week this week, leveraging the international platform to unveil a groundbreaking collaboration with acclaimed designer and new PUMA partner, Salehe Bembury. The multi-day brand experience, conceptually framed as an exploration into a world of biomorphic beauty and engineered imagination, served as the official launchpad for the Velum, Bembury’s inaugural lifestyle silhouette developed in partnership with PUMA.
The event, held in the heart of Paris, was meticulously designed to immerse attendees in the distinctive creative universe of Salehe Bembury, a designer celebrated for his nature-inspired aesthetic and innovative approach to footwear and apparel. The core of the experience revolved around the unveiling and showcasing of the Velum, a silhouette that promises to redefine the intersection of organic form and technical performance.
Introducing the Velum Silhouette
The Velum represents a pivotal moment in the collaboration between PUMA and Salehe Bembury. As Bembury’s first dedicated lifestyle footwear design under the PUMA banner, the shoe is engineered with PUMA’s cutting-edge NITROFOAM™ technology. This integration highlights a commitment to blending high-level comfort and responsive cushioning with Bembury’s signature design language, which often draws inspiration from natural textures and shapes.
The silhouette itself embodies the event’s overarching theme of biomorphic beauty, featuring lines and forms that evoke organic structures while simultaneously showcasing precision engineering. PUMA and Bembury aim for the Velum to stand out not just as a piece of performance-adjacent footwear, but as a sculptural object that can be worn daily, bridging the gap between avant-garde design and accessible style.
The Paris Fashion Week Experience
The brand experience curated by PUMA and Salehe Bembury was more than a simple product launch; it was an immersive journey. Situated within a purpose-built environment, the space was transformed through a series of installations and elaborate product displays that charted the evolution and conceptual underpinnings of the Velum. These exhibits allowed guests to witness the design process, appreciate the materials used, and understand the inspiration behind the shoe’s unique aesthetic.
A central element of the experience was a dedicated “futuristic lab” installation. This area was conceived to visually represent the engineered imagination aspect of the collaboration, presenting the Velum in a setting that suggested scientific innovation and forward-thinking design. The lab environment served to underscore the technical prowess inherent in the shoe’s construction, particularly the integration of the NITROFOAM™.
The ambiance of the event space was carefully orchestrated to reflect Bembury’s characteristic blend of natural elements and futuristic vision, creating a captivating atmosphere that resonated with fashion insiders and sneaker enthusiasts alike attending Paris Fashion Week.
Event Timeline and Public Access
The Paris unveiling commenced with an invite-only gathering held on June 19, 2025. This exclusive preview allowed select members of the press, retailers, and industry influencers to be among the first to experience the Velum and the immersive world created by PUMA and Salehe Bembury.
Following the initial private event, the space transitioned into a public pop-up experience. The public opening is scheduled for June 25, 2025, beginning promptly at 12:00. This phase of the event offers the broader public an opportunity to engage with the Velum and the unique installations first-hand.
Crucially for collectors and fans, the public pop-up will feature an exclusive pre-release of the Velum. Only 100 pre-release pairs of the highly anticipated silhouette will be made available for purchase during this period, making it a significant opportunity for early access.
The pop-up event in Paris is slated to continue through June 27, 2025, allowing several days for the public to visit the installation and potentially secure one of the limited early pairs.
A highlight for attendees on the opening day of the public pop-up, June 25, 2025, will be the expected presence of Salehe Bembury himself. The designer is scheduled to be on-site to greet guests and is anticipated to sign the first pairs of the Velum purchased at the event, adding a personal touch to the release.
Significance and Future Outlook
The collaboration and the elaborate Paris Fashion Week presentation signal PUMA’s strategic move to deepen its presence in the high-fashion and design-led lifestyle space through meaningful partnerships. Salehe Bembury’s distinct voice and proven track record in creating culturally resonant products position the Velum launch as a potentially significant moment for both parties.
The event not only showcased a new product but also reinforced the idea that footwear design is increasingly exploring the boundaries between natural inspiration, advanced technology, and artistic expression. The themes of biomorphic beauty and engineered imagination presented in Paris highlight a direction that the PUMA and Salehe Bembury partnership is poised to explore further.
As the Velum prepares for a wider release following this exclusive Paris debut, the foundation laid at Paris Fashion Week sets a tone of innovation and thoughtful design for future endeavors born from this new alliance between the global sportswear giant and the influential designer.
