Andrew Rizzo The Whitaker Group has entered a new era. While the precise contractual details remain outside public view, it’s become increasingly obvious that James Whitner’s retail network, which includes A Ma Maniére, Social Status, JAIDE, and APB, has secured new agreements that allow it to build on its longstanding Nike, Inc. partnership through collaborations with other footwear leaders. Following the launch of its ongoing “Do Not Duplicate” series with adidas, the company has now announced CODA, a multi-season storytelling platform developed in partnership with PUMA.
In The Whitaker Group’s own words, CODA is “a platform built around movement, intention, and the energy required to transform what has been inherited into something new.” Footwear, apparel, storytelling, live experiences, and creative collaborations will serve as the primary vehicles through which that idea takes shape.
The platform will spotlight creators, thinkers, artists, and cultural figures who reinterpret inherited ideas through new forms of expression, examining how culture is preserved, questioned, reshaped, and ultimately advanced through sport, product, design, and community. The idea exemplifies the concept-driven framework that has become central to The Whitaker Group’s identity, positioning the partnership as something far more than a conventional sequence of collaborations.
No formal product lineup has been announced, though the introductory CODA lookbook offers an early glimpse at what may be ahead, including a black plaid windbreaker, unreleased PUMA footwear, and gold accessories. We’ll circle back with timely updates as the multi-season partnership begins to unfold.
In related news, check out the JAIDE Jordan 11 Low “Fiberglass.”
