Pop star Rihanna’s debut collection for Puma remixes Japanese street culture and tradition with a youthful, yet dark and stormy appeal.

The new AW16 collection of footwear, apparel and accessories for both women and men was launched at the New York Fashion Week by the pop star turned brand ambassador and creative director for the German global sports brand.

The Fenty Puma by Rihanna collection is nothing short of unexpected.

Rihanna draws inspiration from today’s Japanese street culture and tradition for this first full season collection since partnering with Puma in December 2014.

Mixing that cultural influence with gothic overtones and exaggerated volumes and proportions, the fashion icon challenges the traditional male and female silhouettes and blurs the lines between genders that are often times too rigid for her fashion tastes.

Rihanna introduces styles such as a ground-sweeping kimono robe, tear away tricot track suits, an attitude punched lace-up jersey corset, dresses and bodysuits.

In her first collection, she plays with shapes creating exaggerated long sleeve tops and jackets and voluminous hoodies and crew necks.  Many apparel silhouettes play with laces, running up and down the pieces for an added edge. Outerwear styles, like the velvet bomber jacket, serve both the fashion hungry and the function-needy. Each piece embodies a sexiness with a tough-as-nails attitude.

“This collection is not only a representation of who I am and how I dress, but also pushes the boundaries of what I wanted to create with Puma,” Rihanna, who is also Puma’s Brand Ambassador and Women’s Creative Director. “I wanted to take Puma to a new place with something unpredictable and unexpected. It's Japanese street culture with a haunting twist. I played with texture and silhouettes and all of the fabrics are luxurious. I reinterpreted the traditional in my way. I'm looking forward to sharing the collection with the fashion community and fans.”

As a follow up to her Puma creeper launch, the AW16 collection ranges from show-stomping boots to sporty heels to training sneakers. An exaggerated over-the-knee Eskiva boot laced up on some of fashion’s top models turned heads on the runway during the launch last Saturday.

Consumers can catch some of the footwear styles this spring/summer season including her first official modern and futuristic training shoe, the Fenty trainer, which hits stores worldwide last this month (February 26).

Rihanna’s anxiously anticipated Fur Slide will launch in April and while the Puma creeper returns in May with new colours.

The Puma by Rihanna Accessories range features an over-the-top Bomber Jacket Bag, the Fur Waistbag fit with two pockets, and fashionable durags, caps and headwear, chokers and veiled sweatband all to perfect the look.

The AW16 Puma by Rohanna collection, under her Fenty label, includes a mix of fashion and lifestyle apparel, footwear and accessories and will be available at retail beginning September 2016.

Puma is one of the world’s leading sports brands, designing, developing, selling and marketing footwear, apparel and accessories.