Puma + Hussein Chalayan: Collaboration or Contradiction?

It appears that Puma is ready to add full-time chic to it's line with the addition of innovative fashion designer, Hussein Chalayan (best known for his complex collections and fashion storytelling). Puma, who isn't a stranger to designer collaborations (e.g. Jil Sander in 1998, Alexander McQueen in 2005) is buying a majority stake in Chalayan's cash-strapped London-based business and making him creative director of their "sportfashion" division.

For the last few years, Puma has claimed to "zig where others zag." (They certainly did in 2003 when fake ads showing a girl performing oral sex in her Puma sneaks circulated the Internet.) But for a company with it's roots in football gear, this is definitely taking a step in an interesting direction.

Given Puma's corporate strategy to "become the most desirable Sportlifestyle brand in the world," this will certainly add a notch to their belt, if nothing else. Let's just pray that Puma doesn't head in this direction. I'm not really interested in a puffy pink hoodie with matching runners.