Sport and fashion meet once again in the new collection from Alexander McQueen and Puma that debuted at Milan Fashion Week this past January. The collaboration between the acclaimed British designer and the legendary German apparel brand is all about “power” and “inner force,” drawing inspiration from the griffin, the mythical creature with the body of a lion and the wings of an eagle, and the fierce elegance of sparring boxers. The latter reference is the subject of Ghost, a short promotional film directed by veteran music video guru Saam Farahmand that is now making the rounds online. The film, which features fighters attacking one another with the grace of ballerinas and a choir singing over low, booming drums as the Alexander McQueen and Puma logos appear, definitely has a stroke of the legendary, enhanced by its combination of slow-motion and high-speed cameras and its postproduction “ghosting” techniques. The epic mood is matched by the collection itself, which offers a boldly modern twist on traditional sportswear. Thick rugby stripes have been deconstructed and given bat-wing sleeves, while the classic lace-up boxing shoe gets a playful reworking with red and blue crisscrossing straps. Some pieces seem almost too nice to sweat in, like the high-waist combat pants with contrast paneling and tapered ankles. One thing’s for sure: your workout never looked so good.

KEYWORDS: Alexander McQueen, fashion, Puma, Saam Farahmand, video