Ah, Dubai! Known for its svelte supercars, glittering skyscrapers and all-around fast-lane lifestyle, the Emirati city has emerged as one of the world’s foremost hubs for luxurious living over the past few decades. One thing it’s perhaps a little less known for, though, is streetwear culture – perhaps due to the fact that most of its streets are actually multilane motorways. Anyway, since its inauguration in 2011, Sole DXB has been flying the flag for the global streetwear movement, bringing together members of the community from across the Middle East to meet, draw inspiration from one another’s looks, shop the most fire brands and exclusive collabs in the game, and listen to sets by regional faves and globally beloved music artists. The other weekend, we headed down to the event to soak up everything from panel talks with Puma’s creative director to performances by Ari Lennox and Central Cee – here’s what went down!
On the Friday, the festival’s opening day, the event at the top of everyone’s radar was the panel talk hosted at Puma’s towering three-storey pavilion – a dialogue between Puma global creative director Heiko Desens and Upscale Vandal – aka Mike Camargo – the legendary New York-born creative polymath who’s played an instrumental role in shaping th contemporary streetwear conversation. Held on the eve of Puma’s 75th anniversary next year, the pair unpacked the history of how the brand grew from its roots in founder Rudi Dassler’s Bavarian hometown, Herzogenaurach, to becoming one of the most influential presences in the worlds of sport, fashion and wider pop culture.
From Pelé’s sporting of the revolutionary Puma King boot in the 1970s to the brand’s little know pioneering of the fashion-sportswear crossover by way of a collaboration with Jil Sander in 1998; its reinterpretation of its storied archive through to its recent collaboration with Dua Lipa, the pair discussed a succession of Puma’s most significant, culture-defining moments before an audience of industry folk and streetwear fans alike. They then went on to discuss the foundations laid for the brand’s bright future, touching on themes including Puma’s efforts to ensure genuinely diverse representation both among its ambassadors and on its internal teams, and their forthcoming projects that seek to build bridges between physical products and the metaverse.
The next two days saw the festival kick into full swing, with stunningly dressed attendees – a handful of whom you see here! – pouring through Sole DXB’s gates to dance, skate, hang out and just generally have a merry old time. From soulful sets by Ari Lennox and Marwan Pablo on the Puma stage to raucous performances by Central Cee and Jorja Smith on the main stage across the way, revellers were treated to some of the slickest sounds out there right now. That of course made it all the harder to say goodbye at the festival’s close, but any sadness was swiftly assuaged by the knowledge that we’d be coming right back next year – and you should join us, too!
Credits
Photography Isolde Penwarden