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The automotive world has long been a canvas for innovation, but CUPRA is now taking its creative vision far beyond the wheel. Enter the CUPRA Design House, a groundbreaking initiative aimed at transforming the brand’s celebrated design philosophy into a multidisciplinary hub that transcends the automotive industry. Launched during Milan Design Week 2025, the CUPRA Design House is set to challenge the boundaries of design by tapping into new realms of creativity, cutting-edge technologies, and sustainable materials. At its core, the initiative is built around three pillars: CUPRA Collection, CUPRA Collabs, and CUPRA Beyond. These pillars represent a bold vision where the boundaries of form, function, and emotional resonance collide, creating a platform for visionary partnerships across multiple creative fields.

Through the CUPRA Design House, the brand is not just creating products, but immersive, sensory experiences that push the limits of design, performance, and sustainability. The focus on CUPRA Collection will see a line of bold, functional, and sustainable products inspired by the brand’s automotive DNA. Meanwhile, CUPRA Collabs will bring together a dynamic range of like-minded brands and creatives for unique, boundary-defying partnerships. Finally, CUPRA Beyond will explore the world of experiential design, from bespoke interior concepts to unexpected collaborations in industries far beyond the automotive world.

The brand’s move into this new territory marks a pivotal moment in CUPRA’s evolution, so Schön! sat down with COO Cécilia Taïeb to discuss CUPRA’s mission to inspire and innovate, one design at a time.

Cécilia, the CUPRA Design House is described as a space where design goes beyond the automotive world. What was the moment you realised CUPRA needed its own ‘design house’ universe?

We’ve been around for seven years. Seeing the reaction of people, we were doing t-shirts and things like that. We saw this amazing reaction and realized we needed to take this further. The brand and the design around the brand are so powerful. Let’s go beyond. I remember we sat with Jorge and Francesca and said, “What can we do?” We talked about the first pillar, the essentials collection, but you don’t need a design house just for that. Then we said, let’s push the collaborations. We had collaborations, but can we make them bigger? Can we make them more “us”? Let’s find the right collaborators. Collabs are everywhere, but we said, let’s find those people where there’s a match. It’s like dating: “Can we do something cool together?” The third one was the “beyond” aspect. We’ve been contacted by companies asking, “Can you do a hotel room for us, just with the Cupra essence?” Or we did this boat, the Antonio boat, which already existed, but they said, “Can you give it a Cupra feel?” That’s the beyond part. We thought, let’s do this.

It’s also without limits because it’s something new you haven’t thought about before.

Exactly. But also, Cupra is more than an automotive brand; it’s a lifestyle brand. If you’re a lifestyle brand, do the cars, but also do something else. We’re launching in the U.S. in four years. Ultimately, my dream is for Cupra to be known as a lifestyle brand before we even enter with the cars.

You are leading the strategic and commercial development of the three Cupra Design House pillars. Which other pillars speak most to your personal creative side, and why the collaborations?

I’ve been involved in finding the right collaborations. Harper Collective is my first. It’s about creating beautiful things but with meaning. Yes, you can be fashionable, but you can be good too. We created a suitcase made from fishnets taken from the sea. It’s not trash—it’s dignified plastic. Doing that and going through an airport with a cool suitcase that also does good… that’s exactly what I want with collaborations. Always finding that extra layer of meaning that tells the full story. The next generation is all about doing good with everything they wear and how they live.

And there we come to the term “design obsession.” What does it mean to you on a day-to-day level?

It’s being obsessed with everything I see with my eyes. We always say we want to inspire the world from Barcelona. It’s in every corner of the city. Everything we craft with Cupra is done with design. Cupra is design and performance. Take performance, and everything becomes an inspiration. That’s why we call it an obsession. When I see something, I think, “That’s so Cupra.” That means we’ve created a personality for the brand.

From 3D knitted wearables to parametric lounge chairs, Cupra is diving deep into multi-sensory design. How do you balance cutting-edge tech with emotional resonance in these projects?

Tech needs to be used the right way—not in excess. You use it to create something meaningful. It’s like our cars: you use tech for safety, not to drive the car. The same goes for the products we create beyond cars. In the car, you drive it. You’re in control. The same goes for the rest. You use tech to make things beautiful or to connect with the body, like the adaptive meeting or the multifunctional vest. It’s about using technology to create something meaningful that generates emotion.

Cupra collaborations included bold partnerships with Selvedge Man and Harper Collective. What’s your secret to choosing collaborators who embody the Cupra DNA?

It’s about a match. Is there something authentic and coherent with us? Sometimes, we meet with companies, and people think it’s not commercially viable, but from the first handshake, we know. With Seb and Jaden, it was instant. Just talking to them, you could feel their excitement and love for what they do.

You could see his excitement and love for what he did, how he presented it. It was nice to see.

It’s his baby. And that’s how I speak about Cupra. It’s not fake. You can feel it or you can’t. Everything fake just doesn’t work for us. New generations don’t fall for marketing. They want authenticity, or they’re done.

Harper Collective and Cupra luggage merges sustainability with performance. Do you see eco-design as a must-have or an inspiration source?

Both. When you do something, it has to be good. It can be stylish, but it must have meaning, too. If it’s not sustainable, it’s like selling food that’s not healthy. In everything we do, we try to be as sustainable as possible. Harper Collective uses rhodium, a rare mineral with a sustainability background. Whether it’s electric cars or our design house, we don’t want to pollute. Everything has to follow that coherence. I always look for partners who aren’t necessarily the most well-known. Harper Collective is a small company, just Jaden and Seb. MAM is also small, but they have authenticity. Small brands with real personalities are pushing things.

The Cupra Capsule was one of the showstoppers. How did the concept come about, and what reaction did you hope to provoke?

The sensorial capsule is something Francesca and the design team created. She always talked about being an animal and how this animal reacts to you in the car. That’s the future of automotive. Being one with your car and adopting each other. It came from her, and when I saw it, I was amazed. This capsule senses your mood and reacts to you. It’s where we’re going with Cupra, and it’s something innovative we wanted to show the world. It’s this human-machine connection, like Jorge said—it’s almost sensual. A solid machine reacting to you and your emotions.

As COO, you’re not just shaping a brand. You’re curating experiences. What makes a design feel like Cupra to you?

Cupra is such an emotional brand. It’s all about emotions. The design we create provokes emotion, and that’s what we want to continue doing. We always want to surprise. When people ask me what we’re doing, it’s always about breaking boundaries and doing things differently, but not just for the sake of it. We’re doing it because we want to, and we never stop. When we were getting ready for Milan Design Week, we thought, “We’re never going to make it on time!” But then it comes together, and we think, “How did we do it? I don’t know, but we made it happen.”

You talk about breaking barriers and rewriting the rules. What’s the one design rule that you want to break?

Rules are meant to be broken. I remember when I started in automotive, some people said, “We need to take the picture of the car from three-quarters.” I said, “Why? Who says that?” No one cares. Let’s take it in a way that enhances the emotion of the car. It’s the same with photos at night. Some journalists would ask me to use more light. I said, “No. They look beautiful the way they are!” Rules? No rules. Rules are meant to be broken.

Your spirit has come home beyond cars. What’s next for the Cupra Design House, and where will we see it coming alive next?

That’s why we’re here today. We didn’t want to just launch the Cupra Design House. We wanted to show something tangible, something you can touch. The prototypes you saw today, they’re not prototypes; they’re going into production. The adaptive meeting will inspire our active wear collection launching in September or October. The shoes are already available. We’re also launching backpacks, and we’re creating a full collection of adaptive backpacks with MAM. Everything is happening in the next few months. The sky’s the limit. We’re hustling and continuing to push forward.

See the entire collection of CUPRA Design House at cupraofficial.com.

interview. Raoul Keil

This April, Portrait Milano swaps stillness for motion. As Milan Design Week unfolds, the hotel’s historic piazza hosts House of Progress by Audi, featuring a kinetic light installation from Dutch artists DRIFT.

Titled Drift Us, the work is anything but passive. Twenty-two illuminated stalks respond in real time to visitors walking through the space — bending, glowing, and shifting in synchrony. It’s movement choreographed not by dancers, but by data. The effect is subtle and immersive: think grass swayed by wind, reinterpreted through robotics.

DRIFT’s Lonneke Gordijn and Ralph Nauta are known for transforming public spaces into sensory experiences, and this one invites us to consider our own role in an evolving world. “Without movement, there is no progress,” they explain. And movement, in this context, is both literal and philosophical.

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Audi’s theme this year is “flexability” — a hybrid of “flexibility” and “ability”— proposing that adaptability is as crucial to design as it is to living. Drift Us captures this idea by showing how environment, people, and technology can act in concert, rather than in conflict.

Beyond the installation, Audi is also using Design Week to debut its new A6 Avant e-tron. Sleek, fully electric, and engineered for speed and range, the car offers up to 750 km on a single charge. It’s also a symbol of where Audi sees mobility going: not just faster, but smarter, more efficient, and deeply integrated with the world around it.

The installation is open from 10am to midnight daily, 7–13 April. Find out more here.

photography. Audi, DRIFT, Portrait Milano
words. Gennaro Costanzo

Aquazzura is poised to unveil the Aquazzura Bar this month at the prestigious Hotel de Russie, located in the vibrant heart of Rome. Nestled between the picturesque Piazza del Popolo and the Spanish Steps, this luxurious Rocco Forte hotel is celebrated for its exceptional service and a harmonious blend of classic and contemporary design elements. 

As the Hotel de Russie marks its 25th anniversary, it seemed the perfect time to join forces with Aquazzura to create a hidden garden that seamlessly melanges the hotel’s renowned hospitality with the brand’s distinctive style. This intimate bar promises to be a coveted retreat, a secret gem that invites those ‘in the know’ to experience its enchanting atmosphere and meticulous attention to detail.

Aquazzura has long been celebrated for its playful and imaginative footwear designs, reinterpreting classic styles with a modern twist. Since its debut in 2012, the brand has flourished, venturing into the world of homeware in 2022 by unveiling its Aquazzura Casa collection during Milan Fashion Week. “I have always been passionate about interiors and hosting. To me, hosting is an act of love – you create an experience for your guests, from the music to the food, to how the table is set. It has always been a dream of mine to translate the world of Aquazzura into a hospitality space.” creative director of Aquazzura Edgardo Osorio notes. 

Upon entering the bar – created by interior design atelier Casa do Passadiço – you are welcomed by light aqua Portuguese tiles embellished with hand-painted lemon trees on the bar and side wall, inviting you into a realm of la dolce vita. Black and white umbrellas and awnings – featuring a green floral pattern hidden on the inside – cultivate an atmosphere of seclusion, as if you have discovered a secret garden, while the azure plush chairs and sofas invite you to stay a while and unwind. The space is enclosed in a deep green trellis, and – along with the potted lemon trees – adds to the intimacy of the hidden courtyard. Backdropped by De Russie’s famous courtyard gardens and the terracotta façades of the hotel, the bar comes to life in front of your eyes. 

The Aquazzura Casa Secret Garden tableware collection serves as the main inspiration behind the design of the bar, infusing it with a sense of whimsy and elegance. The kelly green garden motif – featuring peacocks, butterflies, dragonflies, songbirds, and other flora and fauna – weaves a rich narrative, inviting guests to immerse themselves in a captivating world that celebrates beauty and artistry.

Naturally, the unparalleled service and delicious drinks further elevate the experience. The cocktail menu has been designed by Frederico Pavan and brought to life by Matteo Capezzuoli to revolve around Osorio’s penchant for tequila. Among the standout drinks are a rotating selection of frozen margaritas and the Agave Nero – Osorio’s take on an espresso martini. To complement your drink of choice, Chef Fulvio Pierangelini has created a selection of tapas, all served on the elegant Aquazzura Casa porcelain, adding a touch of sophistication to each bite.

While this is the luxury Italian fashion house’s first foray into hospitality, we hope it won’t be the last. With a keen eye for detail and unmatched craftsmanship that characterizes their fashion designs, we’re excited to see how this endeavour will infuse elegance and sophistication into the hospitality experience.

imagery. Courtesy of Aquazzura
words. Amber Louise