RZA and Riot’s parents are both on team Puma.
ASAP Rocky has been named the creative director of Puma x F1, a multi-year partnership that will span across lifestyle apparel, visuals, and in-person activations. Since May 2023, Puma has been the official provider of licensed F1 apparel, footwear, and accessories. Rocky will help elevate that offering moving forward.
“I feel like the fans don’t have enough of a connection to their favorite drivers. I want the fans to be able to wear the same clothes they see on the track in their daily lives,” Rocky tells Complex in an exclusive email interview.
The Rocky and Puma partnership will expand over the next three years. For the remainder of 2023, Rocky will focus on visuals and video content. He will also drop the first capsule of F1 apparel he designed in November at the inaugural Las Vegas Grand Prix. Subsequent collections will continue throughout 2024. That same year, he will also conceptualize activations at several F1 grand prixes in cities like Miami. By 2025, Rocky’s creative control will grow beyond lifestyle apparel for fans to include on-track racewear for teams and drivers.
“This is only the beginning,” he tells Complex.
Two Puma x F1 campaign images starring ASAP Rocky that were shared with Complex show us what to expect from the upcoming drops. In one photo, Rocky can be seen in a distressed balaclava remeniscent of the fire resistant mask that drivers wear under their helmets, red sweater with a Ferrari logo on the chest, red Puma racing gloves, and a pair of baggy jeans with a Puma logo printed across the front. The other photo shows off pieces like a cracked leather racing jacket, T-shirt covered with airbrush-esque F1 graphics, and a darker wash of the aformentioned Puma logo denim.
Rocky’s role with Puma x F1 is just the latest example of Formula 1 tapping into streetwear to grow its audience. Rhude has released multiple collections with the McLaren racing team since 2021. More recently, Awake NY was tapped by Tommy Hilfiger for an F1-themed drop that debuted during the Miami Grand Prix back in May.
Rocky also has some prior experience of his own crafting product inspired by the autmotive world. In March 2022, his creative collective AWGE collaborated with Mercedes-Benz on a series of items inspired by ’90s car merch. In his new role, Rocky will help continue to bridge the gap between streetwear and motorsports.
The “Riot” rapper is the latest addition to Puma’s growing list of stylish ambassadors. He joins his partner Rihanna, who’s Fenty Puma line was revived in March 2023, and “Praise the Lord” collaborator Skepta, who has been a global ambassador since November 2022.
Check out more from our email interview with ASAP Rocky about his new role with Puma, his best-dressed rappers of all time, and more, below.
