CUPRA Design Power House

Fashion and mobility – that’s never simply been a marriage of convenience. It’s always been more of a wild love affair with style. Right from the start. Already the first race car drivers knew: a racing suit doesn’t just offer protection, it also makes a statement. Which made it a natural extension of fashion. Quilted stitching, tough fabrics, patterns and shapes – everything could start on the track and end up on the runway. Some things made it there because they were simply more functional and technically advanced. Others simply because they looked cool.

Now CUPRA is picking up this thread again – but not just to slap a logo onto a hoodie. This is about creating an entire design philosophy. A statement in fabric, cut and sensorics. Welcome to the CUPRA Design House. Ignasi Prieto, Chief Brand Officer at CUPRA, puts it this way: “The CUPRA Design House is the ultimate manifestation of our impulse to experiment, to reinvent and to create a legacy that is as bold as it is beautiful.” Sounds like marketing speak? Maybe. But here, what sounds playful is actually being put into practice.

It all revolves around four pillars. The first is the CUPRA Collection. Here, clothing isn’t seen as a vehicle for trends but as a tool for bodies in motion. An activewear line for people who push their limits in sports. What stands out are the materials. 3D printing. 3D knitting. Technologies CUPRA first showcased in the UrbanRebel Concept Car. Precision meets aesthetics. The result isn’t just sustainable – no offcuts – but also distinctive, thanks to its striking look. A taste of how CUPRA reinterprets design can already be found in the interior of the Tavascan, where a center console runs through the cabin like a spine, accentuated with 3D mesh.

The second pillar is called CUPRA Collabs. This involves partnerships with brands that also operate on the edge of the ordinary. For example, a sneaker prototype made using 3D printing, developed together with Hamburg-based Zellerfeld, a company shaking up the sneaker industry. The sneaker combines parametric design with flowing movement. “Parametric” here means that the shapes aren’t fixed but are generated and adjusted flexibly using variable parameters. What’s particularly fascinating is the additive manufacturing process, where the product is built up layer by layer – no traditional tools, no adhesives, no stitching. The result is a mono-material shoe with an organically textured surface that feels alive and shifts with every step.

Another collaboration is with Harper Collective, the sustainability-focused label founded by Jaden Smith and Sebastian Manes. The resulting luggage line, made from recycled materials sourced through ethical production, directly references CUPRA’s design language with bronze details and fabrics drawn from the interiors of CUPRA show cars.

These collaborations are all about opening up new perspectives ( ... )

→ Read the entire story in the new
ramp #68 »Happy as a Clam«.