Outer space may once have been the exclusive domain of professional astronauts, but in recent years, interstellar tourism company Axiom Space has opened up the cosmos to any run-of-the-mill business tycoon seeking an otherworldly vista. (Tickets for its private 2022 trip to the International Space Station reportedly ran a cool US$55 million.) But along with catering to this luxury clientele, Axiom is working to invest in scientific exploration and infrastructure initiatives, too. 

One of its latest ventures is developing spacesuits for NASA’s upcoming Artemis III mission, set to be both the first lunar landing since 1972 and the first time that a woman and person of colour will walk on the moon. Unveiled this past fall, the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit incorporates design input from an unexpected collaborator: Prada. Leveraging its expertise with technical fabrics, the fashion house engineered the suits with a focus on flexibility and range of motion; for instance, the gloves are fine-tuned to enable the easier operation of specialized tools. And while the ensembles will be worn by highly trained crew members, Axiom Space’s business model means this probably isn’t the last we’ve heard of galactic tailoring. As orbital travel picks up, we’re entering a new chapter of celestial design. Perhaps space isn’t the final frontier after all — maybe it’s just another runway.