Michelle Riley.
3. Koché
The first season of our collaboration with Koché had a major over-arching focus; channeling the power of femininity through a performance-sport lens. We focused on techniques and motifs that are true to Koché; incorporating ultra-feminine materials such as lace and tulle yet in a technical execution, engineering the apparel to contour the body for optimal wear, and integrating running-specific details to cater to the female athlete.
Colour Inspiration and Selection.
colour inspiration
winter natural tones
colour inspiration
oils contrasting in
nature
colour inspiration
bold hues naturally
existing
Materials Selection.
lightweight stretch woven,
rec. poly/el,
drycell,
75g
rainbow reflective membrane
laminated, water repellent,
270g
warp knit
embossed,
rec.poly/el,
290g
warp knit
digital printed
rec. poly/el,
290g
power mesh
rec.poly/el,
135g
The colour and materials selection challenged the idea of modern feminity; the unexpected colours are inspired by natural rock formations, with the Koché “signature blue” in small details on the inside of the garments via jacquard elastics and woven tapes with co-branding. We developed feminine yet technical, performance-focused materials including a rainbow-reflective membrane (for the Jacket with detachable sleeves and packable hood), an embossed recycled polyester/elastane (Tights, Short Tights, Bra, Flare Pants), a lightweight water-repellent woven (Contoured Jacket), recycled polyester interlock with an engineered mesh cat (Tee) and a performance-cotton terry (Hoodie).
gromets and performance
lace-up details throughout the
collection
mesh overlay details and
blue reflective sign-off
logo transfers for visibility
in the night
There are many small details throughout this collection that transcend the product from fashion to high-performance to streetwear and vice-versa. The complexity of the garment construction and technical details were the most challenging to solve. I worked out the details via technical CAD sketches, and shown below are a few examples of the collection’s technicalities. CAD drawings and illustrations are by Michelle Riley.
The complete collection, illustrations by Michelle Riley.
Collection Illustrations
The complete collection in hand-sketched form by Michelle Riley, showing multiple outfit combinations. The Rainbow Reflective Packable Jacket is the highlight piece; fully reflective in the night, the sleeves are modular and can be detached from the body, and the hood can be packed away in the collar. Lace up details on the sleeve with grommets and elastic cord connect back to the concept of empowered femininity.
The Lightweight Jacket (pictured far right in Maroon) has a contoured shape, snatching the body at the waist with three princess seamed details on either side of the center front panels. Bonded hand pockets make storage easy and clean, as well as the packable pocket at the back of the wearers left side seam. The Tight-fitting pieces on bottom (Biker Short and Long Tight) have fully bonded waist’s with an internal brushed 35mm elastic jacquard band (with co-branding, in Black and Blue) and bonded mesh inserts help to elevate the pieces and celebrate the body.
The Medium-Impact Bra also takes on the mesh details at the racer back with gromet lace-up details, and the Long Sleeve contours the body beautifully with intricate cut & sew seaming and mesh inserts. The Cropped Tee and Hoodie have a play on the fusing of PUMA and Koché DNA; the Cat on the Hoodie is scaled up and warped, used as an appliqué with an embroidered edge on the Hoodie.
The Tee has a curved hem shape to accentuate the body and engineered woven taping with co-branding to highlight Koché’s signature colour. The Flare’s are the piece that gives the collection a distinct, playful and y2k vibe; bonded grommets alongside power mesh panels at the side seam continue the red-thread to this piece, and the high-waisted bonded construction allows for all-day comfort.
*Please note my tech packs are considered PUMA property and are strictly non-disclosable. All Right’s are Reserved.
A massive thank you to everyone who was involved in product creation for this collaboration, it was a phenomenal team effort:
Christelle Kocher - Founder & Lead Creative, Koché
Carles Urraca Serra - Apparel Designer, Koché
Yasmina Junek - Lead Partnership Management, PUMA
Gordon Petersen - Lead Product Line Management, PUMA
Michelle Riley (me) - Senior Apparel Designer, PUMA
Juliette Delforge - Graphic Designer, PUMA
Rae Gordon - Senior Material Developer, PUMA
Hugh Lau - Senior Manager Development, PUMA
Chell Lo - Assistant Manager Development, PUMA
Sally Ghaly - Senior Creative Producer and Project Manager, PUMA