Prada goes vroom-vroom

If anyone loves labels, it's me. I openly admit to loving things for the name on the tag as much as the actual garment and love all luxury labels alike. Designer collaborations were practically created for people like me; the company collaborating cleverly smacks a designer label on their product and it immediately boosts sales by leaps and bounds.

This is not to say the designer edition is just for the name; many products and companies alike have created luxury brand editions that go above and beyond their typical goods. Everything from cell phones to home furnishings have worked alongside luxury brands to increase exclusivity and opulence, so it should come as no surprise that eventually car companies would hop on the bandwagon and team up with a designer, too.


Previous partnerships within the automotive industry have included Subaru and L.L. Bean, Mercury and Nautica and Levi's Edition Jeeps. Higher up on the luxury scale, Lamborghini teamed up with Versace and was so successful, a number of editions have since been created since the first. An ultra-exclusive Veyron Fbg par Hermès was launched by Bugatti, and Aston Martin has also collaborated with Kilgour.

Most recently, Prada has teamed up with Hyundai to create a special edition of their Genesis model. The car will be debuted in April at the 2009 Seoul Motor Show. No one is more excited than Hyundai Motor's President of International Sales, James Choi. Keen on increasing Hyundai's image, he explains, “We've made a name for ourselves as a quality automaker, and are now focusing on raising our brand image. We are extremely delighted that Prada, one of the best and most innovative luxury goods brands, has agreed to work with us and infuse their creative energy into our products.”

Although Hyundai has the privilege of unveiling the car in its home country, all three of the cars will be created in Prada's territory in Italy over a four month period. Despite the distance, the designers and engineers will be working closely alongside each other. Of the three made, two will be auctioned off to a charity under the Hyundai — Prada name. The auction will take place at the Prada Transformer, a temporary building set up adjacent to Kyeonghee Palace in Seoul that hosts cultural, artistic and fashion related events. The building will be open and running from March until July.

Although some may disagree with fashion houses collaborating with different products and feel it may be just for the name, it can be more than that. Higher quality, sleeker design, special features and the desire to have something rare can all contribute to why luxury label partnerships are so successful. If previous automotive and designer collaborations have shown us anything, it's that Hyundai and Prada will have no problem creating hype and raising money for their chosen charity.