Michelle Riley.
1. San San Gear Season One
Intro to San San Gear x PUMA, AW2025.
For our collaboration with San San Gear, we created a story line to tie our two brands together visually around a very relatable scenario for both cultural backgrounds. Being based in Seoul, Korea, the founders of San San Gear and the team communicated that delivery culture was wild, aggressive and extremely popular in Seoul, many delivery bikes consisting of multiple devices with orders coming through constantly. Taking that as inspiration, we wanted to tell the story of a bustling food delivery service in Seoul, rushing through the city from customer to customer, only to be hit with the constant changes of environment, weather variations and navigating a tricky, non-stop city. We wanted to capture this hustle culture and imagined the consumer being on the back of a motorbike for the entirety of the journey. With their strong attitude and intense work-ethic, this provided a plorethora of inspiration from the get-go, and a clear directional aesthetic that was tough, aggressive, incognito and simulataneously sleek.
For the building blocks of the collection, we looked into small details that are necessary for being on a motorbike, such as padded features, articulation in extremities (knees, elbows), looking at how the body curves, and keeping in mind specific panelling for function. We wanted to create something moody and bold, yet at the same time easily wearable and undeniably functional under the surface.
Our Graphic Designers explored various ways of expressing the delivery culture, such as looking at both digital and printable receipts, the delivery status on ones’ phone, tracking of the delivery driver and the most time-efficient route which is taken.
Graphics & Direction by Florian Tripoteau & Anna Daly-English.
The details are where the collection comes alive in functionality. Body-mapping was necessary in order to be optimal for sweat and temperature-regulation, and the design language needed to be both visually San San Gear and PUMA, consisting of curvalinear lines and organic shapes from an original design sketch.
Technical Sketching and Articulation by Michelle Riley.
The collection key looks, illustrations by Michelle Riley.
The complete collection is a discreet uniform for the theoretical “delivery driver” and consumer. The Jacket and Pants consist of a rigid Cotton Twill, both articulated pieces which allow for freedom of movement however are angled for optimal use and built for longevity. These are pieces that are meant to be lived-in and utilised on a daily basis, becoming a wardrobe stable. The Technical Long Sleeve offers comfort and thermo-regulation as an engineered base layer, with zoning that optimises one’s body temperature. The Technical Shorts are light-weight and four-way stretch, providing comfort, breathability and multiple pocket storage solutions. The Cotton Single Jersey Tee indicates the “delivery details” via reflective printing and branded design elements, offering comfort and functionality in the night.
*Please note my tech packs are considered PUMA property and are strictly non-disclosable. All Right’s are Reserved. Photography rights by Bogdan Shirokov and PUMA.
A massive thank you to everyone who was involved in the Apparel product creation for this collaboration:
Sehun Kim - Design Team Leader, San San Gear
Michelle Riley (me) - Senior Apparel Designer, PUMA
Florian Tripoteau - Senior Graphic Designer, PUMA
Anna Daly-English - Graphic Design Intern, PUMA
Gordon Petersen - Lead Product Line Management, PUMA
Haseeb Azizi - Senior Partnership Management, PUMA
Rae Gordon - Senior Material Developer, PUMA
Hugh Lau - Senior Manager Development, PUMA
Peter Tam - Manager Development, PUMA
Sally Ghaly - Senior Creative Producer and Project Manager, PUMA
@_iwabuchi - Photographer