Double Olympic champion Pierre Vaultier pushes snowboarding boundaries on a 50cm-wide ice track in the French Alps, wearing Prada Linea Rossa's innovative performance collection.
By Fashion Editorial Staff
In the crisp, biting air of the French Alps, Pierre Vaultier moves with a rare fluidity, carving through the icy expanse in sleek black attire. His every maneuver on the razor-thin track is a blend of athletic precision and artistic expression, set against the stark, unforgiving winter landscape. This isn’t just snowboarding; it’s a performance where sport and art converge, redefining both on nature’s ultimate stage.
The Frozen Runway
Milan's luxury powerhouse, Prada, continues to redefine the boundaries of performance fashion through its collaboration with Red Bull. The project, titled "Floating Shapes," sees double Olympic snowboarding champion Pierre Vaultier executing a remarkable display of control on a custom-built snow pump track situated atop a partially frozen lake in Serre-Chevalier.
Vaultier’s challenge: to navigate an impossibly narrow ice track, just 50 centimeters wide—transforming snowboarding into an exquisite, high-wire performance. Each movement becomes a harmonious blend of skill and design, where cutting-edge technology and physical mastery meet at the intersection of sport and art.
Engineered Elegance
Prada Linea Rossa’s collection for this project is more than just a fashion statement. Vaultier’s streamlined black outfit, accented with the iconic red stripe, merges minimalist design with technological innovation.
The collection features Prada's exclusive Extreme-Tex fabric, integrating dual-weight materials and a pioneering graphene membrane. This advanced technology provides antistatic, antibacterial, and thermoregulating properties, ensuring that the garments are as functional as they are stylish. Traditional stitching is replaced with heat-sealing techniques, creating a sleek, streamlined silhouette that elevates both performance and aesthetics.
Alpine Auteur
For Vaultier, a native of the Alps, this collaboration goes beyond mere sponsorship—it represents an opportunity to push the boundaries of snowboarding as a true art form. Vaultier’s journey across the ice echoes Prada’s design philosophy: elegance found in constraint, and innovation thriving under pressure.
Luxury in Motion
As luxury brands increasingly turn to performance wear, Prada is setting a new standard by seamlessly blending technical mastery with high fashion. Unlike the typical trend of borrowing from athletic aesthetics, Prada’s partnership with Red Bull emphasizes true innovation—crafting gear that serves both form and function.
Vaultier, suspended between ice and air in meticulously engineered Prada attire, embodies the fusion of sport and luxury. This collaboration creates a narrative that transcends both realms, illustrating that true luxury is not static—it evolves, adapts, and, at times, soars.