Last April at Milan Design Week, electric carmaker CUPRA took a daring step: launching its CUPRA Design House to stretch its design philosophy way beyond just vehicles. Built around four core “pillars”—CUPRA Collection, CUPRA Collabs, CUPRA Beyond, and CUPRA Accessories—this new arm finds fresh ways to put the brand’s design vision to work, including a foray into fashion.
CUPRA has already given sneak peeks at a range of items: footwear, knitwear prototypes, and a versatile vest. The upcoming CUPRA Active Wear Collection, set to launch by the end of 2025, features an “adaptive” 3D-knit concept made to act as a dynamic “second skin.” On top of that, its partnership with Zellerfeld resulted in a new 3D-printed sneaker. You can check out the full lineup on CUPRA’s website.
We sat down with Jorge Diez, Chief Design Officer at CUPRA Design House, to break down why the brand is moving beyond automotive design. For more car design insights from Milan Design Week, don’t miss our first look at Lexus’s new in-car display.
What Made CUPRA Decide to Dive Into Fashion Design?
This move wasn’t random—it’s a natural evolution. For us, design has never been just about looks; it’s our language, the heart of who we are. Every line, texture, and detail we create reflects our values. We draw inspiration from our cars to go further—into uncharted territory—by partnering with brands that share our belief: design is where the future gets built.
Every choice we make, from the materials in our car interiors to the bold mindset behind our collections, shows how obsessed we are with design. And that obsession doesn’t end at cars—it spills over into every corner of creativity.
Is CUPRA Trying to Challenge Specific Ideas About Car Brands or Car Design With the Design House?
We’re a seven-year-old brand—an outsider shaking up the auto industry. Our main goal? To take the emotional design we’re known for and carry it beyond cars. CUPRA isn’t just a carmaker; it’s a movement that defies how people usually think about car design. With the Design House, we’re redefining what car design means by blurring the lines between automotive, fashion, architecture, and tech.
Historically, car design has been boxed into being functional, performance-first, and often rigid. CUPRA is breaking that mold by leaning into a more emotional, expressive, human-centered approach. We want to build cars that connect with people on a deeper level—not just through how they look, but through materials, textures, even light.
The Design House also pushes back against the idea that car brands should only care about getting people from A to B. By teaming up with fashion designers, 3D-printing innovators, and lighting artists, we’re expanding our creative world into lifestyle and wearable design. This full-circle vision turns CUPRA into a brand that designs experiences, not just products.
At its core, CUPRA is asking: What even is a car brand’s role today? And we’re offering a bold, emotion-driven answer.
What Makes the Zellerfeld x CUPRA 3D-Printed Sneaker Stand Out From Established Sportswear Brands?
Most traditional sneakers are mass-made with multiple parts, assembly steps, and standard materials. The Zellerfeld x CUPRA sneaker is different: it’s fully 3D-printed in one piece using a single material. No extra parts, no stitching, no external pieces—just a smooth, sculptural design. The result? A 100% recyclable product and a blank canvas for endless creativity, all made possible by cutting-edge tech.
Personalization is another big differentiator. Users can scan their feet, and the sneaker is tailored perfectly to their unique footprint. It becomes completely adaptive—like the sneaker and the wearer merge into one. That’s a concept we use in car design too: we want to build a strong, one-of-a-kind bond between people and their vehicles.
Plus, the sneaker carries CUPRA’s automotive DNA. It’s inspired by our parametric design style and performance-focused look—so it has the same bold, eye-catching lines you see in our cars. This isn’t just footwear; it’s a wearable piece of our brand identity. It’s proof that tech, sustainability, and emotional storytelling can come together in surprising, exciting ways.
What’s the Long-Term Vision Behind These Unexpected Designs? How Does CUPRA Want Consumers to See It in the Next 5-10 Years?
CUPRA’s long-term goal is to be known as a disruptive design brand—one that goes way beyond cars. Over the next 5 to 10 years, we don’t just want to be seen as a maker of emotional vehicles. We want to be a creative ecosystem that shapes how people live, move, and express themselves.
CUPRA aims to be a creative and cultural force—one that blends tech, sustainability, and emotional design across fashion, lifestyle, and mobility. Through bold, unexpected products like those from the Design House, we want to inspire a new generation that values individuality, innovation, and imagination.
