Prada Sued for $5 Million Over Abandoned Rolls-Royce Collaboration With Designer Jonathan Riss

Prada Sued for $5 Million Over Abandoned Rolls-Royce Collaboration With Designer Jonathan Riss

Tue, August 11, 2026 at 5:46 PM GMT+3 2 min read

A Hong Kong-based Belgian designer has filed a High Court lawsuit against Prada, seeking at least $5 million in damages over an axed luxury automotive collaboration that was to feature redesigned Rolls-Royce Corniche cars.

Jonathan Riss, founder of Paris- and Hong Kong-based label Jay Ahr, alleges Prada and its top executives — chairman Patrizio Bertelli, Miuccia Prada and their son, executive director Lorenzo Bertelli — wrongfully repudiated a long-term partnership dubbed "Prada Strada," envisioned as an immersive global marketing platform.

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According to the writ, Riss was first engaged in February 2024 to rework Prada's Galleria and Nylon bags before the parties shifted to a "neo-prototype" concept blending Prada's codes with Jay Ahr's aesthetic.

A memorandum was drafted in April 2025 and allegedly set out deadlines and fees, including about $900,000 per redesigned Rolls-Royce, with at least 10 cars planned for international launches in 2026.

The writ noted that outside of the Prada Strada project, a Rolls-Royce transformed by Jay Ahr was typically sold for around $1.5 million per vehicle.

"Prada Strada was to manifest at prestigious automotive showcases worldwide, including in the U.S., Italy, Switzerland, Monte Carlo, France, Japan, China, [South] Korea and India, encompassing Concours d'Elegance events, exhibition shows and rallies," the writ noted.

WWD has reached out to Prada for a comment.

Riss claims he invested heavily in design, technology and research, including acquiring three Corniches, while Prada behaved as if a binding contract existed from June 2025 but never executed final paperwork.

In February 2026, Lorenzo Bertelli allegedly informed Riss via WhatsApp that the project was "paused" for "accountability" reasons, which the plaintiffs, including Riss and his company Ahrsenal Ltd., characterize as a unilateral breach.

The suit seeks damages, restitution, an injunction preventing Prada from independently pursuing the "Prada Strada" concept, and payment for bags Riss had already reworked.

Riss, who began his career as a jewelry designer, is known for reworking luxury handbags into one-off collectibles.

— With contributions from Lily Templeton (Paris)

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