Cassius Hirst was 14 when he painted his first pair of sneakers, gifted to him by his father, artist Damien Hirst. Now 22, Cass has gotten his biggest assignment yet—reimagining the Prada America’s Cup sneaker.
Done through a customized capsule collection in four styles found in 22 variables, The Cass x Prada sneaker styles draw their names from the world of music, reflective of the interests of Cassius and the passions of his fans, according to Prada.
ATT4CK, D3CAY, SUST4IN, REL3ASE are all named after the ‘envelope’ or life of a sound, the stages of its evolution, reflecting this new evolution of the America’s Cup sneaker. The title of each style suggests their look and feel: the hard-edged, molded spikes of ATT4CK, sprayed with neon; the distressed leather of D3CAY, stripped and intentionally faded; the solid brights of SUST4IN, with overpainted white relief details; and the neon- spray finish of REL3ASE.
Sneakers have been Cass’s primary canvas, with his spray-painted originals having garnered a cult following, purchased by the likes of A$AP Rocky, Playboi Carti, Offset, Rihanna, AJ Tracey and the late Virgil Abloh.
How Cass x Prada became a reality
‘I was painting shoes, taking photos, and turning those photos into complex vinyl stencils that became abstract designs. I would mask off part of the body of the shoe, and then wrap the whole shoe in the stencil. It looked crazy. I sent a photo to my dad [Damien Hirst], and then he sent a photo of that to Miuccia [Prada]. And she said, ‘This looks amazing, let’s do something.’ The best part about this project – this collaboration – was how willing Prada are to invest their time, to be open to ideas, to challenges. And to really commit to something new.’ said Cassius Hirst.
All of Cass’s styles are hand-worked in Italy by Prada in a meshing of traditional craft and cutting-edge imagination – wholly unique, no two pairs exactly alike, with signature labels each with a distinct CASS signature. Each pair is sold in a co-branded Prada box, featuring the logo of Cassius Hirst–a scan of his brain. Yep, really.
‘The brain scan represents hope and knowledge in a world of shadows and uncertainty. The brain is where the thoughts happen – for me it all became about creativity and the creative process. I’ve learned that sometimes we have to look inside ourselves to see what’s really going on. We shouldn’t be afraid of that.’ declared Cassius Hirst.
At the core of each of the Cass x Prada styles is the iconic America’s Cup sneaker, which debuted the late ’90s for the sailing crew of the Luna Rossa, in all-leather, or leather with distinctive cross-hatched breathable bike fabric inserts.
‘The Cass x Prada collection finds parallels between the bold work of this fresh talent and the heritage of Prada – the sense of the hand, an excellence in manufacture, a constant search for innovation, a restless urge to re-examine and reinvent our history. Here, the iconic silhouette of the Prada America’s Cup sneaker becomes a canvas for creation, offered in a special capsule. Something unique, something new.’ said Lorenzo Bertelli, Prada Group Marketing Director and Head of Corporate Social Responsibility.
The Cass x Prada collection is an edition limited to 3,000 pairs globally, sold through a selection of Prada boutiques and here.