How Director Natas Brought Community, Skateboarding Roots, and Authenticity to PUMA’s ‘Never Not Suede’ Campaign

As PUMA’s ambitious “Never Not Suede” campaign rolls out its final chapters, the brand has pulled back the curtain to reveal the intricate creative processes behind the scenes. Following deep dives with photographer Maxime Ballesteros and fashion director Imruh Asha, the final installment of the behind-the-scenes series turns its focus to the director of the campaign’s atmospheric mini-film: French videographer Natas.

Set against the sun-washed, historic backdrop of Athens, the narrative-driven short film follows a close-knit group of friends as they navigate unfamiliar surroundings, drift through city streets, and form organic connections along the way. Rather than relying on rigid commercial tropes, the campaign prioritizes a sense of lived-in reality and genuine human interaction—values that trace directly back to the director’s own unconventional entry into the filmmaking world.

From the Alpine Slopes of Annecy to the Streets of Paris

Born and raised in Annecy, a picturesque Alpine town in southeastern France, Natas did not follow a traditional, academic route into the commercial directing sphere. Instead, his creative awakening happened organically through the subculture of skateboarding, a world deeply intertwined with street culture and independent videography.

“I started with videography and photography through skateboarding with my friends,” Natas explains. That hands-on, do-it-yourself ethos laid the groundwork for his visual style. Capturing motion, urban architecture, and raw energy on a skateboard deck eventually opened doors to the wider creative industries.

“Through skateboarding, I met Dih-meh, a Swiss rapper, and he asked me to do a music video for him,” he recalls. “Because of this, I’ve done a lot of music videos. Everything followed up naturally, and I started doing a lot more campaigns, in fashion, especially.”

That trajectory from local skate parks to high-end fashion campaigns mirrors the overarching theme of the “Never Not Suede” project. Just as the iconic PUMA Suede has effortlessly crossed boundaries from athletic tracks to hip-hop history and skate subcultures over the past six decades, Natas’s career has bridged independent street culture with global commercial storytelling.

The Power of a Creative Community

Throughout the multi-day production in Athens, it quickly became apparent that the project’s success relied heavily on the cast. Rather than assembling a group of models selected entirely for their looks, the production opted for individuals who brought distinct energy rooted in their own personal creative passions.

For Natas, fostering a sense of community and creative collaboration is not merely a stylistic choice—it is a foundational way of life. Having spent years surrounded by a tight-knit ecosystem of multidisciplinary artists, he channels that collective energy directly onto the set.

“I am lucky to be surrounded by creatives,” Natas reflects. “I come from a group where there are others like me who film, do photography, or DJ. Being around creative people in my everyday life inspires me.”

This philosophy dictates how he approaches his sets. Eschewing the hierarchical, top-down direction often found in major commercial productions, Natas favors a collaborative atmosphere where ideas are tested, debated, and refined collectively. “The idea is to weigh the maximum amount of ideas, see what works and what does not, and see how we can all be happy with the result,” he notes.

This openness regularly yields unplanned, magical moments during filming. While working on the third drop of the campaign, which features a vibrant night-out sequence, Natas discovered an unexpected talent within his cast.

“For Drop 3, there’s a scene that is a night out. I knew that there was one member of the cast, Paul, who was a very good dancer, and I realised it in the moment. I was not expecting it, and it was a great surprise,” Natas says. Unpredictable, authentic moments like these inject a vital sense of spontaneity into the film, allowing the true personalities of the cast to override rigid pre-existing storyboards.

Friendship as the Ultimate Foundation

Friendship is not just the subject of the “Never Not Suede” narrative; it is the structural glue holding Natas’s entire professional life together. Reflecting on his physical and professional migration from the quiet mountains of Annecy to the bustling cultural hub of Paris, the director refuses to frame his success as an individual achievement. Instead, he credits the enduring loyalty of his peers.

“My friends and I are a group of about ten skaters, all from Annecy; we’ve all been together since school,” he shares. “Being together as a group is what gave me the courage to come to Paris and immerse myself in what I wanted to do. They help me move forward.”

Over a decade later, that same reliance on trusted companions continues to define his film sets. When building his crew for major global brand campaigns, Natas frequently looks to his inner circle rather than outsourcing to unfamiliar talent pools.

“What I love is having my creative friends on set. It really inspires and reassures me,” he says. Pointing to key crew members, such as his chief camera operator Atalya—whom he has known for years prior to professional collaborations—Natas emphasizes the comfort and creative shorthand that comes from shared history. “I bring my friends along as much as I can, and we move forward together.”

Improvised Spaces and Real-Life Memories

This commitment to authenticity extends seamlessly into the locations selected for the PUMA campaign. Eschewing overly sterile or manufactured sets, the production favored environments that felt tactile, lived-in, and steeped in real-world history.

Among Natas’s favorite locations was an ordinary restaurant that the team cleverly transformed into an improvised, high-energy rave space. The concept was not born in a corporate boardroom, but rather pulled straight from the director’s own memory bank of formative nights out in European cultural capitals.

“It reminds me of memories I have from moments in Paris or Marseille,” Natas explains. “We used this refrigerator cupboard, which is usually used to keep meat, as a DJ booth, and that is something I’ve actually seen in real life. These are the sort of details I love bringing to a campaign.”

It is precisely these small, gritty, and lived-in details that prevent the “Never Not Suede” campaign from feeling like a standard corporate advertisement. Though the narrative is fictional, it is constructed entirely from genuine experiences, shared observations, and authentic relationships. Throughout the unfolding story, the PUMA Suede moves effortlessly through these varied urban environments alongside the cast, proving once again why the silhouette has remained a timeless cultural staple for nearly sixty years.