Italian fashion label Prada on Sunday displayed a new inner-layer garment intended for use by NASA astronauts, signaling the company's continued move to become a prominent luxury player in the space industry. The body-hugging garment, developed in partnership with Houston-based space infrastructure developer Axiom Space, incorporates knitted ventilation tubes as part of its design.
At an event held in Prada’s Manhattan store, Lorenzo Bertelli, the company's chief marketing officer, described the firm’s capabilities and know-how in developing the garment. Seated next to a mannequin outfitted in the Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment, Bertelli emphasized Prada’s technical breadth in creating the piece.
Jonathan Cirtain, chief executive officer of Axiom Space, commented at the same event that expertise useful for space exploration products can originate from a wide range of industries that at first glance may appear unrelated to space. Cirtain linked the collaboration to that cross-industry transfer of knowledge.
The unveiling builds on Prada’s earlier activity in the field: in 2024 the brand introduced a full spacesuit that is slated for use on NASA’s Artemis 3 Earth orbit mission, currently scheduled for launch in 2027, and the subsequent Artemis 4 moon landing, anticipated in 2028. Those earlier moves and the new garment reflect Prada’s stated intent to move beyond merely drawing inspiration from space travel into formalized partnerships as the space exploration and tourism markets evolve.
Industry observers quoted at the event described two principal motivations behind Prada’s interest in the space sector. Thomai Serdari, a luxury brand strategist and a marketing professor at New York University’s Stern School of Business, said the collaboration gives Prada potential access to affluent consumers considering space travel, and helps align the brand with avant-garde thinking. Serdari also noted that while several major luxury houses have an interest in space travel, they are likely to pursue distinct approaches rather than directly copying one another.
Luca Solca, global head of luxury goods at Bernstein, framed the resumption of human travel to the moon and expanded space exploration as likely to draw significant attention. He argued that luxury brands need to maintain relevance and visibility in such moments, a dynamic that helps explain Prada’s push.
The Prada-Axiom announcement arrives against a backdrop of a luxury goods sector that has faced headwinds. After experiencing two years of contraction, the industry showed signs of stabilization before the outbreak of the Iran war at the end of February, which disrupted travel and reduced luxury spending beyond the Middle East.
Other apparel and sportswear companies have entered the space apparel arena as well: Under Armour has partnered with Virgin Galactic to produce space apparel, while Columbia Sportswear has worked with Intuitive Machines on space fabric technology. Whether other established luxury houses will follow Prada into direct partnerships with space operators remains unclear, according to the observers quoted. Serdari noted that LVMH’s Louis Vuitton, Hermès and Chanel have shown interest in space travel but would likely pursue their own unique paths into the space sector.
The Prada-Axiom collaboration, featuring a Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment with integrated knitted ventilation tubes, represents a visible example of a luxury brand seeking to convert space-oriented design and prestige into concrete product partnerships as the space exploration and tourism industries continue to develop.