With the launch of the CUPRA Design House at Milan Design Week back in April, electric car brand CUPRA boldly stated its mission to take its aesthetic philosophy beyond simply car design. Built around four 'pillars' (CUPRA Collection, CUPRA Collabs, CUPRA Beyond and CUPRA Accessories), the new division introduces novel applications for the brand's design work, including fashion items.
CUPRA has recently revealed footwear, knitwear prototypes and a multifunctional vest. Due for release before the end of 2025, the upcoming CUPRA Active Wear Collection includes 'adaptive' 3D knitting concept designed to serve as a dynamic 'second skin'. Meanwhile, the brand's collaboration with Zellerfeld has seen the advent of a new 3D-printed sneaker. You can view the full collection on the CUPRA website.
We caught up with Jorge Diez, chief design officer at CUPRA Design House, to find out more about the brand's decision to branch out from automotive design. For more car design chat from Milan Design Week, take a look at our first hands-on with Lexus's new in-car display.
What prompted CUPRA to explore designing fashion items?
It has been a natural evolution. Design has always been more than aesthetics — it’s our language, at the core of our identity. Every line, texture, and detail is an expression of our values. We are inspired by the essence of our cars to go further, to reach new, unexplored territories through collaborations with like-minded brands that see design as a space to invent the future. Every step we take, from the materials that we use in the interiors of our cars to the bold ethos that inspires our collections, is a testament to our obsession with design – an obsession that extends beyond the automotive world and into the realms of creativity.
Is there a particular perception of car brands or car design that CUPRA is challenging with the launch of the CUPRA Design House?
We’re a seven-years-old car brand, the unconventional challenger of the automotive industry, and ultimately the objective is to go behind the emotional designs that we have and bring them beyond automotive. CUPRA is more than just a car brand — it’s a movement that challenges conventional perceptions of automotive design. With the launch of the CUPRA Design House, the brand is redefining what it means to design a car by blurring the boundaries between automotive, fashion, architecture, and technology.
Traditionally, car design has been perceived as functional, performance-driven, and often rigid. CUPRA is disrupting this by introducing a more emotional, expressive, and human-centered approach. The goal is to create vehicles that connect with people on a deeper level — not just through aesthetics, but through materials, textures, and even light.
The CUPRA Design House also challenges the idea that car brands should only focus on mobility. Through collaborations with fashion designers, 3D printing innovators, and lighting artists, CUPRA is expanding its creative universe into lifestyle and wearable design. This holistic vision positions CUPRA as a brand that designs experiences, not just products.
In essence, CUPRA is questioning the very role of a car brand in today’s world — and offering a bold, emotionally charged alternative.
What sets items like the Zellerfeld x CUPRA 3D printed sneaker apart from designs by established sportswear brands?
Unlike traditional sneakers, which are often mass-produced using multi-part assembly and conventional materials, the Zellerfeld x CUPRA sneaker is entirely 3D printed in one piece using a mono-material. This means there are no additional components, no stitching, and no external parts — just a seamless, sculptural form. The result is a product that is not only fully recyclable but also a canvas for limitless imagination, enabled by cutting-edge technology.
A key differentiator is the emphasis on personalisation. Users can scan their feet, and the design molds perfectly to their unique footprint. The sneaker becomes completely adaptive, almost as if the sneaker and the wearer merge into a single unit. It’s a concept we also embrace in automotive design, where we strive to create a strong, unique connection between human and machine.
Moreover, the design reflects CUPRA’s automotive DNA. Inspired by the brand’s parametric design language and performance-driven aesthetics, the sneaker embodies the same bold, expressive lines found in CUPRA vehicles. It’s not just footwear — it’s a wearable expression of the brand’s identity and a bold statement of how technology, sustainability, and emotional storytelling can converge in unexpected ways.
What is the long-term vision behind these surprising designs – how would CUPRA like to be perceived by consumers over the next 5-10 years?
CUPRA’s long-term vision is to be seen as a disruptive design brand that goes far beyond the automotive world. Over the next 5 to 10 years, CUPRA aims to be perceived not only as a manufacturer of emotionally charged vehicles, but as a creative ecosystem that shapes how people live, move, and express themselves. CUPRA wants people to perceive it as a creative and cultural force — one that blends technology, sustainability, and emotional design across fashion, lifestyle, and mobility. Through bold, unexpected products like those from the CUPRA Design House, the brand aims to inspire a new generation that values individuality, innovation, and imagination.
