Rosé wears 'Speedcat' proving S. Korean culture's huge influence on fashion

"After Los Angeles (LA) in the U.S. and London in the U.K., Puma established its third global entertainment headquarters in Seoul last year. CEOs from various countries had no objections to setting up the headquarters in Seoul. South Korea's cultural influence in the global fashion industry has grown undeniably."

On February 6, at Puma's South Korean headquarters in Jung-gu, Seoul, Puma Korea CEO Lee Na-young shared this perspective on the South Korean market as viewed by the global sports brand. Lee was appointed CEO of Puma Korea in 2022, completed her three-year term, and was reappointed this year. She began her career at L'Oréal Korea and has over 15 years of experience in sports brand marketing at companies like Reebok and Adidas.

Through her interactions with Puma's global CEOs, Lee has witnessed the rising stature of South Korean culture and its growing influence in the fashion industry. The global entertainment headquarters in Seoul is responsible for managing one of the brand's global ambassadors, BLACKPINK's Rosé. In June last year, four months before the release of her international hit song APT., Rosé became a Puma ambassador upon Lee's strong recommendation. When APT. was released in October of the same year, it became a massive hit on global music charts. Along with Rosé's skyrocketing popularity, the Puma sneakers she wore as an ambassador—the Speedcat and Palermo—also gained significant attention.

"If the past decade was about Western pop stars influencing South Korean culture, the next decade will be about South Korean pop stars influencing the West," she said. "Given the immense popularity of K-pop among European teenagers, South Korea's market importance in various industries, including fashion, will become even more prominent as these teenagers grow into adults."

The Speedcat sneakers, which saw a resurgence thanks to Rosé, were originally released in 1998. They had been forgotten for some time as a thing of the past. Rooted in fire-resistant shoes designed for Formula One racers, the Speedcat became one of Puma's flagship sneakers during the brand's heyday in the 2000s. The revival of Speedcat contributed to Puma Korea achieving double-digit sales growth last year.

The Speedcat OG Sparco and Speedcat LS sold out within 40 minutes of their official launch on Puma's online store and within just 15 minutes on Musinsa, a popular fashion platform. At major offline stores like Shinsegae Department Store's Gangnam branch and Starfield Suwon, long lines of customers formed before the stores even opened. Noting the explosive success of the Speedcat in South Korea, Puma Global decided to roll out the sneakers in stores worldwide this year, making them a central focus of the brand's 2025 campaign.

Puma Korea's key focus for this year is running. The company is an official sponsor of the Seoul Race, an event co-hosted by The Dong-A Ilbo and the Seoul Metropolitan Government, which will be held for the 23rd time on October 12. "This year, we're going all-in on running," said Lee. "Usain Bolt wore Puma running shoes until his retirement. We trust the technology behind our 'Nitro' running shoes, known for their speed and comfort, and have been making significant investments in this area since last year."


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