Prada and AspenX Team Up for Capsule of Performance Wear Inspired by Aspen
AspenX, the premium retail and experiential brand launched this month by the Aspen Skiing Company, operator of the Aspen/Snowmass resort complex, has collaborated with Prada on a capsule collection.
Launching today, the six-piece range of performance outerwear mixes Prada Linea Rossa’s Extreme-Tex waterproof layer, with Graphene padding to regulate body temperature, and distinctive graphic black-and-white designs by artist Paula Crown.
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There are two men’s jackets, two women’s jackets and two sweatshirt styles, priced from $1,970 to $5,400.
Crown is a principal in the Aspen Skiing Company, oversees the art-filled Little Nell Hotel, and created the AspenX concept that launched earlier this year with branded skiwear, a private club and exclusive experiences.
The Prada co-branded product collaboration is the first of more to come, she said.
“I’ve always been a Prada fangirl, and as we were thinking of potential companies to reach out to, they aligned with a lot of our values — they are family-owned, long-term-oriented, they believe in excellence. They had style and body knowledge and to add to what we had on the performance side.”
She reached out to Prada heir apparent Lorenzo Bertelli, and although they still haven’t met in person, they worked on the collaboration across time zones. “They sent prototypes of their ski line and we had our pros try them out. It was this great conversation about what worked on a warm day, cool day, snow day, then we sent feedback and we created this line.”
In addition to selling at AspenX’s e-commerce, the capsule will be available in the 1,200-square-foot AspenX store launching Dec. 20 at Gondola Plaza. The space will feature private label and co-branded product, a food and beverage concept and high-end ski rental service.
The specialized AspenX concept emerges at a time when luxury retail continues to flock to the Colorado resort area, and outdoor clothing has become an important luxury category.
While Aspen, which celebrates 75 years in 2021, has always blended an appreciation for arts and culture and the outdoors, there has been a noticeable shift in what visitors to the resort are looking for in the way of shopping, said Crown, a longtime resident.
“Ten years ago you didn’t see performance streetwear around Aspen, but now you’ll see someone wearing The North Face x Gucci. But you also have a core of extreme athletes who are going to be wearing things that perform well on the half pipe at the X Games,” she said. “It’s that vital mix that makes it interesting.”
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