A Prada x Gentle Monster collab is coming This just might be the best partnership of 2026

Just hours ago, Prada announced its collaboration with Gentle Monster, the Korean eyewear brand that has made creativity and its interpretation of contemporary trends its defining signature. A partnership that may well have all the ingredients to become the collaboration of the century. Inspired by Prada's sophisticated aesthetic and Gentle Monster's experimental vision, the campaign stars Prada ambassador Kentaro Sakaguchi. The collection is already available to preview online and will be available for a limited time in Japan, South Korea and China.

A brilliant partnership

At a time when the eyewear industry is undergoing a profound transformation, just think of the increasingly prominent role of technology in fashion through projects such as the collaboration between Luxottica and Meta, the partnership between Prada and Gentle Monster represents a different kind of evolution. It is not only about technological innovation, but also about building a shared cultural imagination. On one side is Prada, arguably the Italian fashion house that has gone further than any other in expanding its universe beyond products, creating over the years a cultural ecosystem shaped by art, cinema, architecture and research. It is no coincidence that the group continues to invest in the Asian market, not only through retail but also through cultural projects capable of engaging with local communities.

Shanghai has become one of the main testing grounds for this strategy. After restoring and returning the historic Prada Rong Zhai residence to the city, the fashion house transformed it into a centre dedicated to contemporary culture, hosting events such as Prada Mode Shanghai, the travelling cultural club that brings together art, music, gastronomy and conversations with internationally renowned artists and intellectuals. In 2020, filmmaker Jia Zhang-ke reinterpreted its spaces through the site specific installation Miàn, while more recently Prada unveiled Mi Shang Prada Rong Zhai, the brand's first independent restaurant in Asia, conceived together with filmmaker Wong Kar Wai. A project that creates a dialogue between Milan and Shanghai through cinema, design and fine dining, reinforcing the idea that Prada considers culture an integral part of its language.

The value of experience

Gentle Monster, founded in Seoul in 2011 by Hankook Kim, has established itself as one of the most influential names in contemporary eyewear, turning glasses into true cult objects. From the very beginning, the brand has stood out through a radically experiential approach. Its concept stores resemble art galleries or immersive installations rather than traditional retail spaces, where visual merchandising blends with sculpture, technology and performance. Gentle Monster's success stems from its ability to translate the present into highly desirable objects. Handmade frames combine formal research and artisanal craftsmanship with a contemporary aesthetic marked by a playfully ironic character.

The brand's history of collaborations reflects the same philosophy. Over the years, Gentle Monster has worked with designers and brands such as Maison Margiela, Mugler, Moncler, as well as personalities such as Jennie of BLACKPINK, with whom it created the successful Jentle Home, Jentle Garden and Jentle Salon collections. It has also explored the intersection of design, technology and gaming through collaborations with Huawei, Tekken and numerous international artists. Every project has been accompanied by immersive installations and pop up spaces that have strengthened the brand's identity far beyond the product itself.

Against this backdrop, the collaboration emerges as a creative partnership between two brands that have built their success on imagination, experience and visual culture. Two brands that speak different creative languages while sharing the same belief: today, luxury is no longer just about selling an accessory, but about building worlds that consumers aspire to enter. If these are the foundations, all that remains is to join the queue and hope to secure what has all the makings of becoming one of the season's must have accessories.