For her third Puma collection, Solange decided to do things a little differently. The multi-colored, pattern-filled look of past collections have been streamlined into clean, pastel, textured takes on the classic Puma suede silhouette. Yes, please.
And then there’s the squad she hand-picked to model the collection. In a campaign called Word to the Woman, Solange celebrates the collection with photographs and profiles of 15 fly ladies from all different fields and backgrounds, shifting the focus from what they look like to what they do. “A Puma and Saint Heron collaboration that celebrates women who innovate and redefine roles in varied walks of life,” the official description reads.
We have crushes on pretty much everyone involved in this project – both in front of the camera and behind the scenes – but here are four favorites who you should know:
Mengly Hernandez
https://instagram.com/p/5-g1K3id-K/?taken-by=wordtothewoman
Dominican designer Mengly Hernandez helms Linea Germania, a line that features scarves inspired by her grandmother. But Hernandez is something of a renaissance woman, having also worked as a fashion stylist, multimedia artist, textile designer, and model. With influences ranging from Frida Kahlo to Diana Vreeland to Louse Bourgeois, she’s put strong women at the center of her creative output.
Isadora
https://instagram.com/p/6AMz4Midzs/?taken-by=wordtothewoman
Isadora is a singer and visual artist of Dominican-descent with an album on the way. But she does more than just sing – she can also throw down in the kitchen. On her website, she features original recipes, like her tropical twist on bread pudding (adding caramelized papaya!), as well as classics like Dominican style pollo guisado.
Empress Of
https://instagram.com/p/57vj8nvEkI/?taken-by=empress_of
If you’re a Remezcla reader, then Empress Of (aka Lorely Rodriguez) is no stranger to you – we’ve been fans ever since we heard the singer, songwriter, and producer of Honduran-descent’s EP Systems a couple years back. With her first album Me slated to drop September 11, an amazing springtime residency at Elvis Guesthouse under her belt, and her inclusion in this campaign, Rodriguez is on a roll.
Alan del Rio
In addition to the amazing portraits of women, the Word to the Woman spread also includes some dreamy “mood” photos – shots of plants, architecture, and interiors that capture the color palette and vibe of the collection. The photographer behind these shots is Alan del Rio, the Texas-born, Brooklyn-Based video director who has worked with Buscabulla, Dev Hynes, Solange, Danny Brown, and St. Vincent, among others. Learn more about him here.