Brands
Dream11 & Puma team up for first athleisure collection
KOLKATA: Fantasy sports platform Dream11 has joined forces with the global sports brand Puma to launch its first athleisure collection in India. The two sporting powerhouses have co-created an exclusive range under the label – PumaxDream11. The merchandise assortment includes t-shirts, flip-flops and caps and will be available online on FanCode Shop, at exclusive Puma stores and Puma.com.
With over 100 million users, Dream11 will now be able to connect with sports fans offline while tapping into the athleisure market in India, which is growing at a rate of 20-25 per cent annually. The first collection was launched just in time for IPL 2021. The collaboration also includes an autumn-winter range which will exclusively be available during the upcoming T20 World Cup hosted in India. The designs under the PumaXDream11 collection are branded under the campaign theme ‘Dream It. Own It’.
Dream11 & Dream Sports co-founder and CEO Harsh Jain said, “We are excited to launch our first athleisure collection along with Puma, which shares our belief in making sports better for all. We are certain that this collaboration will strengthen Dream11’s offline brand affinity and loyalty. We are sure that this sporty collection will resonate with both our 100 million users and Puma brand champions.”
Puma India and southeast Asia managing director Abhishek Ganguly added, “Dream11 and Puma share a common vision to grow the culture of sports in India. As pioneers of fantasy sports in the country, they understand the pulse of sports enthusiasts and have been powering this ecosystem by giving fans a platform to follow, track and actively engage with the game. We are happy to partner with Dream11 to launch their first athleisure collection.”
Brands
Lululemon picks former Nike executive to be its next chief
Heidi O’Neill, who helped grow Nike into a $45 billion giant, will take the top job in September
CANADA: Lululemon has found its next chief executive, and she comes with serious credentials. The athleisure giant named Heidi O’Neill as its new CEO on Wednesday, ending a search that has left the company running on interim leadership since earlier this year. O’Neill will take charge on September 8, 2026, based out of Vancouver, and will join the board on the same day.
O’Neill brings more than three decades of experience across performance apparel, footwear and sport. The bulk of that time was spent at Nike, where she was a central figure in one of corporate sport’s great growth stories, helping take the company from a $9 billion business to a $45 billion global powerhouse. She oversaw product pipelines, brand strategy and consumer connections, and played a significant role in shaping how Nike spoke to athletes around the world. Earlier in her career, she worked in marketing for the Dockers brand at Levi Strauss. She also brings boardroom experience from Spotify Technology, Hyatt Hotels and Lithia and Driveway.
The board was unequivocal in its enthusiasm. “We selected Heidi because of the breadth of her experience, her demonstrated success delivering breakthrough ideas and initiatives at scale, and her ability to be a knowledgeable change and growth agent,” said Marti Morfitt, executive chair of Lululemon’s board.
O’Neill, for her part, was bullish. “Lululemon is an iconic brand with something rare: genuine guest love, a product ethos rooted in innovation, and a global platform still in the early stages of its potential,” she said. “My job will be to accelerate product breakthroughs, deepen the brand’s cultural relevance, and unlock growth in markets around the world.”
Until she arrives, Meghan Frank and André Maestrini will continue as interim co-CEOs, before returning to their previous senior leadership roles once O’Neill steps in.
Lululemon is betting that a Nike veteran who helped build one of the world’s most powerful sports brands can do something similar for an athleisure label that has genuine love from its customers but is still chasing its full global potential. O’Neill has done it before at scale. The question now is whether she can do it again.
