Bergmeyer began working with PUMA at a critical point in the retailer's history. Already one of the world’s most widely recognized performance sportswear brands, PUMA was becoming an international lifestyle brand based on the appeal of its sleek European design aesthetic. Bergmeyer’s prototypes for PUMA – the red store and the black store – helped the brand make the leap.
The red store in Chicago was designed to adapt with agility to different locations. Drawing inspiration from its iconic jumping cat logo, red accent panels with the PUMA logo focus visual attention on the merchandise. White walls and shelving layer against warm hardwood floors to provide a neutral backdrop. Innovative lighting accents the merchandise and creates drama in a sleek and understated environment.
PUMA’s black store brings the brand to a luxury market. In Bergmeyer’s first black store, located in Manhattan’s meatpacking district, the prototype’s minimal urban aesthetic conveys exclusivity. Showcasing “capsule” collections – experimental collaborations between PUMA and consulting designers – the black store incubates new ideas. In place of the signature jumping cat logo, a palette of white, black, and shades of gray creates a stark neutral backdrop for the eclectic product range. Furniture racks fashioned out of tubular steel and bicycle wheels pay homage to PUMA’s roots in competitive cycling, while a display system of overhead carabiners recalls the meat hooks once synonymous with the district.