Prada and Adidas collaborate on a third collection that will be a first on several fronts. While the Italian luxury company and the German sportswear conglomerate have previously cooperated on some relatively minor re-editions of Adidas' trademark Superstar and Luna Rossa 21 sneakers, this is their first step into co-branded garments and accessories. In addition, the cooperation will take use of Prada's significant sustainability advances, such as the substitution of nylon for its iconic Re-Nylon fabric. Nylon is already a characteristic cloth for both companies, thanks to the Prada anorak and the Adidas three-stripe track pant, and those two iconic products, along with other sporty mainstays like a bucket hat and a fanny pack, each appear in some form in this fashion collection.
And if you do manage to snag a pair, you may do it with a clear conscience. Prada's distinctive material, Re-Nylon, was released in 2019 and is made from recycled plastic trash gathered from seas and textile fiber waste; according to a press release, "it can be cleansed and recycled endlessly, with no loss of quality." Global fashion manufacturing generates vast amounts of fabric waste; traditional nylon and many synthetic vegan types of leather or furs touted by other luxury companies are made from non-renewable resources such as coal and petroleum. So one of the better ways we have to address the issue of global textile waste is through breakthroughs in recycled and recyclable fabrics—creating something new from something that already exists.
Another intriguing chunk from the press release reflects fashion's recent fascination with the next digital frontier: the companies' digital advertising campaign will offer an opportunity for fans to "participate in the metaverse with Adidas and Prada through open-source co-creation." The fashion collection will be available in-store at Prada stores and online at Prada and Adidas' websites from January 13.
