Prada Sport: The O.G. Athleisure
Think 1920s, Charlie Chaplin, oversized suit. Do you see it? Let me try again… 1950s, a cloud of smoke covers the audience, each individual immersed in the scene in front: Frank Sinatra, embodying a black-suit tie, entrancing the crowd with his voice. No? One last try.. 1990, Julia Roberts, Golden Globes, boxy Giorgio Armani suit. Now do you understand what I’m getting at? In the twentieth century, suits were the standard. Long skirts, elegant ball dresses, custom designer suits—this was the epitome of luxury, not a simple sports bra. Fashion was polished, corporate, and highly structured.
Source: glamour.com
Source: vulture.com
Wall Street was bustling with stockbrokers and people who were on a mission to get to their next destination as quickly as possible. The era of suits marked an era of rapid life, where there was no time for anything. No work-life balance, simply work, work, work, and more work.
“I can't have a baby because I have a 12:30 lunch meeting.” Such a phrase was uttered in the 1987 film Baby Boom. The protagonist, a powerful businesswoman, has no time for herself, let alone for a baby; she somehow musters the time for a tailored suit and important negotiations. Still, would she have time to loiter in an expensive athletic suit? A pink one, or maybe a ceylon, whichever suited her boat?
The answer is NO. Such an idea was unimaginable in the prior century. Luxury was a suit, NOT a pair of Alo socks.
But at the cusp of the millennium, a new visionary emerged, like a phoenix from the ashes: Neil Barrett.
Neil Barrett was born into a family of master tailors in England. After studying at the Central Saint Martins School of Art and Design (my dream school) and the Royal College of Art in London (my other dream school), he was recruited to work under Tom Ford at Gucci.
A true revolutionary visionary, he moved to Prada after pitching an idea for a menswear line. His vision for a cool, minimal line of male clothing was a success, granting him the opportunity to begin concocting another vision: luxury athletic wear.
Three years short of the millennium, Barrett helped sponsor the Luna Rossa sailing team and, as a result, created performance pieces for the crew. Later that year, Prada Sport was launched.
Prada's America's Cup Sneaker Original Colorways, Velcro Source: highsnobiety.com
An integral part of the original line was the Prada America’s Cup sneaker, the sneaker that became a staple for the Italian sailing team. Met with grand success, Prada Sport rebranded to “Linea Rossa – or “Red Line” in Italian.” At this moment, the iconic red line marked Barrett’s iconic luxury athletic wear.
The Sailing Team - Linea Rossa Source: Dazed.com
Prada Sport (Linea Rossa) mattered—then and now—because it shifted the definition of luxury away from rigid suiting and toward function, innovation, and accessibility. The brand’s legacy was great, culminating in its collaborations with Swiss textile hub Schoeller. Together, they revolutionized fabric usage, focusing on versatile fabrics that would be able to withstand wind, rain, etc. No longer was fashion worn for the beauty of the piece; it was curated to be worn for its functionality.
SS 1999 Womenswear | PRADA (left). SS 1999 Menswear | PRADA (right).
In 1999, Linea Rossa’s Fall/Winter collection starred nylon parkas, structured windbreakers, and sleek monochrome silhouettes. The emphasis on tech wear and monochrome colors was there.
Arc’teryx x Jil Sander. Source: fashionfav.com
The following year, the Spring/Summer collection exhibited a change. The clothing became more airy, featuring aerodynamic, well-fitting sportswear. It was visible how Barrett valued functionality over excess. No grand jewels, colors, or designs. Simple, minimalist, polyurethane fabrics were the new chic. The great emphasis on “chicly” functional had become the new fad.
From the success of Linea Rossa rose brands such as Jil Sander, Lemaire, and The Row. Each band adapted neutral palettes, clean lines, and structured forms. Each resembled Prada Sport.
Arcteryx, Moncler, Stone Island Shadow Project - just to name a couple - quickly rose to fame, becoming the epitome of luxury techwear. Their weather-resistant fabrics and military-inspired clothes all used Barrett’s work as their muse.
Slowly, other high-end fashion houses began to launch their own sportswear: Versace Sport, Dolce & Gabbana Sport, Gucci Sport, et cetera. But none would ever come close to Prada Sport, whose entire mission was to make fashion accessible and useful. The brand pandered to two audiences: those who don’t bat an eye at a $5000 pair of designer shoes, and those who are more cognizant of their spending habits. Prada Sport was luxury without the enormous price tag.
The rise of fad athleisure brought in with it a trend that has marked the childhood of many Gen-Zers. Growing up in the late 2010s meant begging your mom for Lululemon and Athleta. Not the latest Balenciaga belt, nor everyone’s favorite designer handbag—no, simply workout clothes. The Lululemon Align pieces had everyone in a chokehold, becoming a quick “necessity” to many. However, their price was not the best; each piece was over $100. An insane sum for something so basic, a high-quality pair of leggings at best.
This is the reality of Los Angeles—upper middle class, a gigantic outdoor mall. Athleta, Lululemon, Alo, Vuori, Arcteryx…the list goes on forever. Gripping an iced coffee in one hand, walking down the streets of the mall post-workout, decked out in head-to-toe Lululemon. Consumerism is associated with financial status, and spending money on a $150 pair of leggings is normal; in fact, it is even encouraged.
The emergence of Prada Sport helped make this possible. It normalized leniency in fashion. In our current world, still fast-paced but newly obsessed with self-care, relaxation has become its own form of luxury. The new Chanel, Dolce, Versace have transformed into Lululemon, ALO, Athleta.
Sportswear is no longer looked down on; instead, it is approached with respect. It is a luxury to dress comfortably, to take a few minutes for oneself. The fast-paced, suit-driven standard of the past century has been replaced with lax chic.
Possibly, this is an effect of the COVID-19 pandemic, when everyone sat at home, hoping no one would notice that they were in fact wearing a collared shirt paired with their grummest pair of sweats. Maybe it is extreme capitalism, and everyone’s desire to be part of the spending fad. Or maybe - just maybe - Neil Barrett simply revolutionized the entirety of techwear, allowing for his legacy to always live on.
Nevertheless, brands such as Lululemon and Athleta continue grappling with the idea of luxury athleisure, popularizing matching sets in purple, black, yellow, and white. Their audience is the upper middle class - those rich enough for $120 leggings but not wealthy enough for a two-thousand-dollar Hugo Boss suit.
The use of nylon is normalized, sportswear is chic, and the name of Prada lives on.