Cupra - the electric and high-performance brand spun off from SEAT - sees itself very much as a company focused on design, taking the bare bones of VW Group mechanical bits and clothing them in bodywork that's a bit more stylish than the average.
What's Cupra doing now, then?
Now, Cupra is really trying to ram home that point by rocking up at Milan Fashion Week with a new venture - the Cupra Design House.
The idea behind the Cupra Design House is to take the technology and the style that Cupra has already developed to make its cars, and especially its car interiors, and turn them to make high-end, high-tech clothing, and indeed high-tech luggage.
“At Cupra, design is at the heart of everything we do. The launch of the Cupra Design House is a testament to our obsession with design - an obsession that extends beyond the world of automotive into the realms of creativity, innovation and human connection”, said Ignasi Prieto, Chief Brand Officer of Cupra. “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.”
How does this link back to car making?
Cupra claims that its car styling philosophy and its clothing ideas are bound together by a 'red thread of design' and that “The Cupra Design House is the next step on this journey: a space where Cupra can explore the limits of design and innovation as part of the brand's constant search to challenge convention and create the unexpected.”
“The Cupra Design House is where we will come together with creatives and brands who share our vision to use design to challenge conventions and embrace the unknown. Inspired by the essence of our cars, and by the materials we use to make them, we will be driven by our bold design ethos to explore new frontiers and build partnerships to push the boundaries and transform ideas into tangible realities,” said Cécilia Taïeb, Chief Operating Officer of the Cupra Design House.
The new Design House brand will be built around four 'pillars' - Cupra Collection, Cupra Collabs, Cupra Beyond and Cupra Accessories.
The Cupra Collection is possibly the most interesting one for now, as it consists of clothes that are made using the same 3D printing and 3D knitting techniques that Cupra uses to make the interiors of its cars, often using recycled plastics and other materials as the basis for the fabrics.
These look a bit oddly familiar…
The new knitted products have a clear and obvious motoring overtone - check out the diamond quilting that looks like an expensive car seat and the crossover straps that resemble seatbelts. The look isn't all affectation, though. Cupra claims that there's a practical nature to the likes of “ribbed textures in arms and body, to a parametric structure in a volume that enhances the shoulders and spine; embodying movement, adaptability, and a radical new expression of textile design.”
The designs being shown in Milan are prototypes, but you will be able to buy something similar, and more besides, from the Cupra Active Wear Collection by the end of this year.
Then there's Cupra Collabs, which obviously involves collaboration with other brands. The first of these is Zellerfeld, a company that is expert in making running shoes from 3D-printed technology. So that's exactly what Cupra has come up with - the Zellerfeld x Cupra: 3D Printed Sneakers, which are designed to: “push parametric aesthetics to their peak, sculpting a fully parametric surface that feels alive, shifting and evolving with every step.” These sneakers are actually already on sale.
Any other cool products?
The next collab is with MAM, and together, Cupra and MAM have made a hoodie vest that includes an integrated backpack - “a bold statement piece that foreshadows the upcoming MAM x Cupra collection. Underskin parametric textures animate the surfaces in contact with the body, while an outer neoprene foil enhances its sculptural form.” This one is a prototype, but there's a whole MAM x Cupra collection on the way soon.
The final collaboration is with Harper Collective luggage, and the two brands are designing suitcases and bags with copper highlights (a very Cupra look) and 3D-printed materials, creating: “an exceptionally lightweight, highly durable cutting-edge design that prioritises sustainability.” These will shortly be on sale online and through the Selfridges department store in London.
Cupra Beyond, meanwhile, is looking further afield than the world of fashion and has created, as its first design, a lounge chair that “does more than hold the body - it triggers emotion. Every surface is designed to heighten the emotional experience of touch and interaction.” This one, again, is a prototype, but expect to see more like it.
The final pillar, Cupra Accessories, is perhaps a little more obvious and, indeed, affordable and consists of a range of accessories which will be available for the lineup of Cupra cars. The designs are said to: “fuse practicality with cutting-edge design and bold use of materials.”
To launch the Cupra Design House at Milan Fashion Week, Cupra has come up with a mobile brand space called the Cupra Capsule, which: “is a living expression of the brand's design philosophy - a fusion of technology, craftsmanship, and pure emotion built on four pillars: lightweight structure, embracing musculature, precious detailing and light and sound experience.”
“At Cupra, we embrace the unknown, shaping tomorrow through fearless innovation. 3D printing allows us to redefine precision and customisation, creating designs that adapt and evolve with the times. 3D knitting merges technology with craftsmanship, a seamless fusion of function and artistry. Parametric design enables us to push the limits of architecture and aesthetics, crafting structures that respond, transform and inspire,” said Francesca Sangalli, Creative Head of the Cupra Design House.