Good sport: Prada relaunches Linea Rossa collection

When Prada released its first nylon backpack design in 1984, luxury fashion was revolutionised by the idea of a sporty, synthetic fabric being a symbol of something not just industrial and functional, but also highly sophisticated and sought after.

It’s a material that is now synonymous with Miuccia Prada’s boundary-pushing design approach; the red stripe logo of her Italian label’s Linea Rossa collection – which first launched in 1997 – was a symbol of the athletic and streetwear-focused fashion of the decade. We explored the luxury industry’s current fascination with haute performance wear in the ‘Hike Society’ story of our Style Special September issue (W*234). In a time where athleisure, streetwear and highly functional sportswear is top of luxury clientele's shopping lists, Prada is staying ahead of the game with the relaunch of its Linea Rossa collection.

Prada unveiled its revamped Linea Rossa collection on the A/W 2018 men’s and women’s catwalks, emblazoning the new-look extended strip of its red logo across the chests and cuffs of nylon jackets and gilets in highlighter hues, and on black bucket hats. During the Nineties, the line was renowned for its technical innovations and high performance ethos, and its regineered logo taps into this heritage: designed in latex, it is applied underneath a cut window in fabric and heat sealed using a new process.

The hyper functional unisex designs have technical elements suitable for both the ski slopes or the city. Those Nineties-nodding padded silhouettes are crafted using nanotech fabrics which regulate body texture, Goretex Pro water-repellent fibre and ultra-light highly resistant Nylon 3L, the thinnest membrane in the world. 

Prada’s A/W 2018 collections also encompassed other elements of its archive, including 2011’s banana and 2000’s lipstick prints and flame-emblazoned shoes inspired by 2012 designs. The reissue of its Linea Rossa collection ensures its utilitarian nylon styles are not just greatest style hits from the Nineties, but the Noughties too.

INFORMATION

For more information, visit the Prada website