This Autumn PUMA® Serves Up French 77
A Collection of “Court Classics” with a modern twist
March 2007

Cape Town, South Africa, March 15, 2007 - The year is 1977. It is the year that Elvis Presley died, Star Wars opened in theatres, Pele played the final game of his career and Disco was at the helm. Saturday Night Fever was a box-office hit and New York's legendary disco Studio 54 opened its doors for the first time. In tennis, 1977 is the year that Latin flavour broke the trend of American, Australian, and Swedish dominance. Bjorn Borg and Virginia Wade may have won Wimbledon but Argentinean Guillermo Vilas became the world number one during this epic season winning both the French and the US Open and became one of the most famous tennis pro's of all time. Vilas was just as accomplished off the court and was renowned for his individualism, spontaneity and glamorous and international pleasure-seeking lifestyle.

This autumn, as a tribute to this era, PUMA launches French 77, a sports lifestyle collection that is inspired by the product worn by Guillermo Vilas in the late 70's and the lifestyle that he embodied in this magical year. Stylish, sophisticated and good-looking, the collection is widely appealing.

The French 77 footwear, apparel and accessories showcase the signature blend of sport and fashion that has come to epitomise PUMA's design direction. Reminiscent of pure Heritage pieces of the seventies, new interpretations of “court classics” with a modern twist address the need for, fashionable attire for men and women both on and off the court. Tennis-inspired detailing and graphics from this era are mixed with modern street-wear style and twenty-first century materials to create fashion-forward looks with the comfort of casual sports apparel.

Working with functional and fashionable silhouettes, the apparel range features comfortable cuts with attractive detailing and PUMA's unique subtle branding. Strapless tennis dresses, slim line track jackets and pants, polo shirts, graphic print tees and a range of accessories including fedora hats, tennis caps, visors, wristbands, bags and belts are styled in vibrant hues of classic green and pure white and modern variable shades of apple, pink, blue, violet, lemon and charcoal. The styling is chic, distinctive and evocative - a modern evolution of authentic heritage pieces.

Highlights from the women's collection include the Terry Cotton Strapless Dress (R499); this stylish take on the classic tennis dress comes in white, highlighted with classic green trim or in all-over aspen gold. Sophisticated and chic this versatile wardrobe staple can be worn alone, over jeans, on the beach or with heels in the evening. For a more laid back vibe, slim-line Double Knit Track Jacket (R699) and Sporty Cropped Pants (R499) in green with white trim, offer a more relaxed option.

Key styles from the men's French 77 collection include a Brushed Cotton Track Jacket (R699) in graphite with cobalt blue check detail and terry toweling wrist inserts, a dog-tooth check Lux Track Jacket (R799) in 100% terry cotton and Graphic Print Tees (R269) in pink, cobalt and graphite. The Dress Up Jacket (R1099) and Pants (R759) in PUMA graphite with cobalt trim comes complete with an integrated hood - perfect for a day on a yacht!

PUMA French 77 offers apparel, footwear and accessories for a pleasure-seeking lifestyle, even functional sport accessories make a fashion statement with a multi purpose Racket Bag (R769) in classic green and seventies-inspired embroidered Tennis Visor (R139). Footwear evolves from classics with the unisex Vilas MC (R1199), a contemporary re-design of the iconic GV Special, and Le Set (R699) for women, a tennis-inspired shoe in pure white with classic green trim.