"Prada," the globally renowned luxury fashion brand from Italy, has launched a high-performance undergarment called the "Liquid Cooling and Ventilation Garment" (LCVG). It is designed to be worn underneath the main AxEMU spacesuit by Axiom Space for NASA's manned lunar exploration missions, marking the first such mission in over 50 years.
The launch event was held grandly at the Prada store in Manhattan. The LCVG combines Prada's expertise in materials science and advanced knitting techniques with 3D simulation innovation. The garment is form-fitting and integrates a network of cooling tubes directly woven into the fabric to ensure astronauts remain comfortable and can perform extravehicular activities continuously for up to eight hours.
Since astronauts generate high body heat during missions, the LCVG circulates chilled water through tubes passing over major muscle groups to absorb heat and transfer it to the portable life support system. What sets this garment apart from previous cooling suits is that Prada and Axiom Space have designed a dual backup cooling circuit for maximum safety; if the primary system fails, the backup immediately takes over.
In addition to the cooling circulation system, the garment features a separate ventilation system that continuously delivers pure oxygen to the astronaut's face area, removing exhaled carbon dioxide back into an air filtration system. This enhances breathing safety amid the harsh lunar south pole environment.
Dr. Jonathan Siertin, CEO of Axiom Space, stated, "The future of space exploration will not be built by any single organization alone. Our collaboration with Prada proves this. Combining the best of aerospace engineering with luxurious craftsmanship and advanced product development has resulted in a suit no company could independently create."
Lorenzo Bertelli, Chief Marketing Officer of the Prada Group, revealed, "This achievement represents the next step born from the unique expertise of both parties. Before humanity returns to the lunar surface, we intend to push boundaries and explore new frontiers together with Axiom Space."
Tomai Serdari, a luxury brand strategist and marketing professor at New York University, analyzed that Prada’s move transcends mere "inspiration" to become a "true business partnership." The two main motivations are accessing ultra-wealthy consumers interested in space tourism companies like SpaceX and Blue Origin, and elevating the brand’s image to appear innovative and forward-thinking.
Moreover, Prada's expansion into the space industry comes at a time when the global luxury goods market is slowing and just starting to stabilize, only to be further impacted by the outbreak of war in Iran in late February. This situation has affected tourism and luxury spending worldwide, forcing luxury brands to seek media presence and stand out to attract global attention.
Although sportswear brands like Under Armour and Columbia Sportswear have experimented with space fabric technology, Prada is a true trend leader in the high-end market. Serdari concluded that top brands such as Louis Vuitton, Hermès, and Chanel are also interested in this sector but will not imitate each other and are likely to pursue different approaches to entering the space frontier in the future.