On the evening of February 5, 2004, 23 Chinese migrant workers, who were gathering cockles in England’s Morecambe Bay, drowned to death after they were trapped by the rising tide. London-based painter and filmmaker Isaac Julien will never forget the moment he caught wind of the tragedy.

As we recently noted, Puma has been making a concerted push for 21st-century relevance with a roster of partnerships and collaborations worthy of Opening Ceremony. First up, Puma is continuing its unlikely alliance with Alexander McQueen, and the next batch of kicks from this team-up promises fashionable offerings in blues and grays, rounded out by McQueen's signature eye for shape. One rather impressive model is a high top sneaker with cut-up and twisted suede side-paneling. Awesome. Puma also has a longstanding line with young Japanese menswear and footwear designer Mihara Yasuhiro.

Not too long ago, fashion magazines were having a naked moment. Countless rags dedicated lengthy editorials to models in next to nothing, leaving readers wondering where, exactly, all the clothes had disappeared to. Well, it looks like clothing brands are now following suit, with brick and mortar spaces prioritizing socializing over selling. Levi's has helped lead the way with its series of bi-coastal workshops focusing more on creative, community-based initiatives than clothing. Now it's Puma and Vans' turn.

The only benefit of the lingering recession, as far as I’m concerned, is pop-up bar concepts, now that landlords are ready to lower prices to get some temporary income coming in. This month, Puma got in on the action when the footwear giant managed to temporarily snag a slice of the Sunset Strip. Last night, they lured Jeremy Piven and others to the launch of their Puma Social Club concept inside the old One Sunset space, which has been vacant for over a year. Rent at 8730 Sunset is rumored to be $30,000 a month or more, keeping actual bars or restaurants from opening in the 6,500-square-foot space, but Puma will at least light up the Strip with a few notable events before closing shop on October 28th.

Fresh in the footsteps of the launch of Hussein Chalayan's collaboration with J. Brand come images of the fruits of the designer's new gig at Puma. "Called Urban Mobility, the collection for spring-summer is billed as 'fashion sportswear' and accessories for the 'modern urban traveler'," says Women's Wear Daily. What that means exactly, is sleek fashion forward looks manufactured with some of the most innovative materials around.

It contains items such as a crayon box and a key ring, but the PUMA Reality Bag No. 2 is hardly child’s play. Marking the second collaboration between the sportswear megalith and Swiss artist John Armleder, this portable art exhibit is based upon the show 30 Americans, sponsored by the Rubell family in Miami, which features the creative genius of African-American titans such as Jean-Michel Basquiat, Hank Willis Thomas, Kara Walker and Kehinde Wiley.

Alexander McQueen’s partnership with Puma is unleashing a wild (and wildly priced) shoe slated for sale in late August. The Puma AMQ line has most recently created a chocolate-brown crocodile leather kick that manages to combine urban style (note the high-top build) with high fashion -- plus a little bit of a jungle vibe mixed in. "There is a part of me that is very couture, and a part of me that is very street," the designer explains. A street sneaker that doubles as a dress shoe made from gator hide. Why didn't I think of that? Although the three-grand price tag may seem hard to swallow, the shoes come in a handmade wooden shoebox with a complimentary pair of crocodile leather flip-flops. If you plan on getting your claws on a pair of these, act fast, as only 28 pairs will be distributed in the United States.