JESSE

Puma Suede-Inspired Avatar
Created for Black History Month

“Jesse” is a sculptural avatar inspired by the enduring cultural impact of the Puma Suede silhouette. Originally created in response to a Puma design competition inviting fashion designers to reinterpret the Suede trainer, I chose to approach the brief differently, translating the iconic shoe into fibre-based sculptural form rather than garment design.

Named in homage to Olympic sprinter Jesse Owens, whose early athletic endorsements helped shape a legacy that would later influence global sportswear culture, the work bridges heritage, identity and contemporary fibre practice.

After sharing the piece on social media, Puma connected with me directly, leading to a large-scale photographic installation of the avatar displayed in the brand’s flagship store on Carnaby Street, London during Black History Month.

Constructed through my layered fibre technique, “Jesse” integrates materials that echo the Suede’s design language while reinterpreting it through sculptural abstraction transforming footwear iconography into embodied form.