This story originally appeared on WIRED Italia and has been translated from Italian.

“We are witnessing the beginning of a new era, as the internet was in the 1980s. Today access to space is still something for the few, but just as in computing, in a few years prices will come down. Everyone should indulge in the beauty of an adventure.” So said Lorenzo Bertelli, chief marketing officer of Prada, today at the International Astronautical Congress 2024 in Milan, Italy. Yes, that’s right, Prada at the International Astronautical Congress.

Bertelli was excitedly referring to the reveal of the Axiom Extravehicular Mobility Unit (AxEMU)—the fashion house’s collaborative spacesuit design with Houston-based startup Axiom Space, which will be used for NASA’s Artemis 3 mission to the moon planned for 2026.

“[This] is not a commercial or marketing issue,” Bertelli continued. “We will eventually think about those later, but overcoming our limits is one of the values that best reflect the spirit of Prada. It is the first step in the collaboration with Axiom Space.”

Speaking of overcoming limits—and while Bertelli waits to ponder the future marketing opportunities for Prada—the AxEMU is actually an evolution of NASA’s Exploration Extravehicular Mobility Unit (or xEMU), the suit used for activities outside the International Space Station.

Designed for greater flexibility, efficiency, and safety, AxEMU incorporates specialized tools for exploration of the lunar south pole, where the temperature range can be extreme and the regolith, thin as talcum powder, adheres to every surface, creeping into every crevice.

The suit is able to tolerate the extreme temperatures of the lunar south pole and the harsh climate of permanently shaded regions for at least two hours, and can handle at least eight hours of extravehicular activities.

Apparently the most difficult challenge, according to Russell Ralston, executive vice president of extravehicular activities for Axiom Space, “was the development of the boots.” The main purpose for the suit is for moonwalks, yet the suit can quickly be adapted for work in low Earth orbit, such as spacewalks from the International Space Station. Because the AxEMU is made using a single architecture, all that needs to change when switching from lunar surface to space jaunts is the boots.

The entire AxEMU is, in fact, designed to fit easily “in no more than two minutes,” Ralston said, and if you’re concerned it is just for size-zero spacefarers, Prada promises it will be suitable for different physiognomies of both men and women astronauts, from the first to 99th percentile (anthropometric measurements).

The suit is equipped with several redundancy systems and an integrated diagnostic system. A regenerable carbon dioxide removal system is onboard, as well as cooling technology to dissipate heat. The control and communication tools are on external interfaces, Ralston pointed out, while the helmet and visor have advanced coatings that optimize visibility. In-house, custom-made gloves feature a number of improvements over the gauntlets worn on previous missions.

Prada Group’s design and product development teams worked with Axiom Space staff on suggestions for specially designed materials and solutions that will not only protect astronauts from the challenges of a hostile lunar environment, but also inspire future extra-atmospheric exploration. Apparently, Prada’s know-how with innovative stitching methods helped reconcile highly engineered functionality with the aesthetics of the white jacket, resulting in a boost in both comfort for astronauts as well as performance.

Perhaps part of Bertelli’s future marketing efforts, but also referencing a motif already present on the Apollo program suits, the AxEMU sleeves sport two conspicuous red lines—a clear, recognizable sign of the Prada fashion house.

Since 2022, when it received the first order for Artemis worth $228 million, Axiom Space has benefited from the public-private agreement with NASA to call together experts in various fields and ask for their support in the design and development of the new suit.

The AxEMU has undergone testing and simulations with astronauts and engineers at SpaceX and NASA facilities, and has been put through unoccupied trials underwater at NASA’s Neutral Buoyancy Laboratory (NBL) and reduced-gravity simulations at the Johnson Space Center in Houston.

Further testing—including occupied runs in the NBL and trials with the prototypes for the Artemis Lunar Terrain Vehicle—will continue as the AxEMU enters its final development stage over the next year.

Although Axiom’s suit is still incomplete, the company’s president Matt Ondler promised: “Will be ready for Artemis III—to date scheduled for 2026, although even NASA does not rule out a postponement to 2028. Our goal will be to use it in our [coming] commercial station, but also in lunar missions following the next lunar landing.”