Holland Street Designer Case Study. The Visionary Behind Aries: How Motherhood Shaped the Fashion Set’s Favourite Streetwear Label
Sofia Prantera is the creative force behind Aries, a streetwear label that has captured the hearts of fashion enthusiasts and insiders alike. Known for blending high fashion with streetwear, Aries stands out for its genderless designs and bold graphics. Sofia, originally from Rome, honed her craft at Central Saint Martins in London before co-founding Aries in 2009. The brand has since become a cultural phenomenon, celebrated for its collaborations with names like New Balance and Juicy Couture, and for its commitment to quality, with much of its production based in Italy.
Sofia's vision for Aries goes beyond fashion—she aims to create a community and cultural hub through exhibitions, pop-ups, and collaborations. Her approach has made Aries a standout in the fashion world, appealing to a diverse audience from hypebeasts to high-fashion aficionados.
Aries, founded in 2009 by Sofia Prantera and Fergus Purcell, boasts Anglo-Italian design excellence and ranks among elite streetwear brands like Supreme and Palace. Known for long queues at its stores and sell-out limited-edition drops, Aries is a Gen Z favorite—oversized sweatshirts dominating laundry days, with teens fervently warning, "Don’t tumble-dry them, Mum!" to preserve their XXL charm.
She left Silas shortly after the birth of her daughter, Milou, though she also has a son, Matty. “When I had my son in 2003, I kept working, but after my second child, I moved to part-time. If you’re passionate about something, that passion extends even more to your kids. You won’t let someone else design your clothes, and you won’t let someone else take care of your children.” She sold Silas in 2007. “Maybe we could have gotten a lot more if we’d waited,” she admits with a laugh, “but it allowed me to be there for my child. You can’t put a price on that.”
As her children grew older, she found herself becoming restless. “I started doing some freelance work but soon realized I was unemployable. Once you’ve worked independently, it’s difficult to adapt. I’m very all-encompassing in my approach, and I struggled to design based on others’ ideas, which cost me quite a few jobs.”
She believes fashion is on the brink of becoming more rebellious once again. “People are tired of big brands and investing in things that don’t align with their values. There’s definitely a resurgence of the underground scene, and I’m truly embracing it. That’s what made the late Nineties so captivating.”
