PUMA: Over 60 Years of Reaching for the Stars [men's fashion]

After the Pharaohs’ astounding victory, I extended a warm invitation to PUMA, a sponsor 12 of football teams in Africa, to contribute to our all-star issue of Uomo Moda.

The press office responded with tremendous enthusiasm, sending photos and a dazzling press release, which cries “Mabruk—Congratulations!”

What I discovered is that Uomo Moda has more in common with PUMA than just the Orange Africa Cup of Nations: both are both cougars! As you may know, Uomo Moda is a publication of the Cougar Group!

The largest of small cats, the cougar is a spry star in the feline family. Graceful and agile, cougars are powerful runners and jumpers, able to climb the steepest of rocky terrain, even leaping into lofty trees.

Historically, PUMA can trace its origins to a company that was established in 1924 near Nuremburg, Germany, by Rudolf and “Adi” Dassler—two brothers who named their company the Dassler Brothers Shoe Factory.

At the 1936 Summer Olympics, the younger brother—Adi—persuaded US sprinter Jesse Owens to run in Dassler shoes, a feat that vaulted the company onto international prominence.

After World War II the two brothers parted ways as Adi started his own company, which he named by combing the first three letters of his first and last name to form Adidas.

As for the older brother, Rudolf renamed the former company to PUMA Schuhfabrik Rudolf Dassler and, hence, PUMA was born. Since then, the legacy of sponsoring Olympic Games, World Cups, and great stars like Egypt’s Pharaohs has continued in an unbroken series of success!

Currently PUMA is an international sportswear leader—a real astral champ in the sport-lifestyle market—with over 9,000 employees and a distribution in 120 countries.

Finally, PUMA has even announced that its multi-year partnership with the Egyptian Football Association has been extended beyond the 2016 FIFA World Cup in Brazil.

PUMA—the company that has reached for the stars, starting in sports and ending in fashion!

Read all the articles by Mark in 2016 Spring Uomo Moda:

Uomo Moda ‘10 Spring Edition—the All-Star Issue
Be a Star in Spring 2016: Editorial, Uomo Moda
Dolce & Gabbana: 2 Stars in Italian Luxury
Dolce & Gabbana 2016 Spring Collection: “Extreme Beauty”
United Colors of Benetton: A Family of Stars
Benetton's Star Desginer: Vincenzo Scognamiglio
United Colors of Benetton: 2016 Spring/Summer Collection
Tween: a Rising Star
The Tween 2016 Spring Collection: “Modern Masculinity”

Photo top left by Getty Editorial Usage Rights, Courtesy of PUMA.
Photo middle right PUMA factory, Courtesy of PUMA.
Photo bottom left Rudolf Dassler, Courtesy of PUMA.