Michelle Riley.
1. Design Explorations, PUMA
Whilst working for PUMA, we are constantly surrounded by inspiration from the archive every day, and what the future of that archive holds. DISC was one of the most iconic PUMA technologies of the early 90’s, and it was a dream to make it come back to life in a major way, especially within Apparel. Although its relevance was within the Footwear world back in the 90’s, we thought it could be possible to function in Apparel as well, as a minor adjustment system that would improve the fit and feeling of a garment.
Knowing how the DISC function is intended to work, I wanted to absorb this information and simultaneously look beyond the road blocks when it comes to design. How could we push the aesthetic boundaries of DISC without resorting to obvious placements? Could we make the most of the functionality whilst still exploring intriguing, unexpected silhouettes? Could the cinching and gathering created by DISC be used for aesthetic purposes as well as for functional end-uses?
DISC Hand Sketches, by Michelle Riley
Additionally, what would the Design Direction look like? How could we push the boundaries of DISC from a visual standpoint, considering material function, depth and dimension, colour and the details?
DISC Design Direction Concept, by Michelle Riley
The Lightweight DISC Jacket and Elongated Shorts, both in a UV-protectant, lightweight nylon ripstop with four-way stretch and water repellency features. The gathering is created via fine-guage double needle top stitching with a encased thin elastic, which creates a voluminous shape and dimensionality. The DISC is applied to shaped bellow pockets, so the DISC controls the expanding and contracting of the pocket opening via the lacing system within the bellows.
DISC Apparel Designs, by Michelle Riley.
With extra prototypes, I was encouraged to create unexpected DISC-inspired pieces by hand. We had the opportunity to use the maker-lab design studio, so I re-purposed the Jackets and Shorts into custom gowns via draping on the mannequin. There was no intentional or planned outcome, just purely an exploration to allow the creative process to flourish.
DISC Concepts, draped and designed by Michelle Riley.
*please note these design themes and concepts were created to serve as an inspiration for the future of PUMA Select; for clarity, they are ideations only and were not produced by PUMA Select.