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PRADA: THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

PRADA: THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE

13. October 2022
Flannels blog article
PRADA: THE PAST, THE PRESENT AND THE FUTURE


Much like the earth revolves around the sun, the fashion world lies in anticipation of Prada’s next move. Fashion fortune tellers, cultural architects and industry heavy-weights, Prada’s legacy is untouchable. And with a cool 30 million Instagram followers and #Prada amassing 3.7 billion views on TikTok, their influence is as strong as ever. Allow us to introduce you to the world of Prada.



It all began in 1913. In Milan. Where the first store was founded by Mario Prada. Their clientele? The crème de la crème. From the aristocracy to the literal royal family, Prada was designing for Italy’s elite. But in 2022? To say it’s different wouldn’t cut it. Headed up by the imitable Miuccia Prada, the brand entered a new era.

There’s a whole host of ways you could describe Miuccia Prada, but a living legend would suffice. And her CV? It’s impressive to say the least. Before her move into fashion, she gained a PhD in political science at the University of Milan and dabbled in mime, training at the Teatro Piccolo and performing for five years. A member of the Italian Communist Party and involved in the women’s rights movement in ‘70s Milan, she spent her rebellious student days decked out in Saint Laurent. While her love for fashion ran deep, she didn’t plan on pursuing a career in the industry. In fact, she told in 2020 that fashion was “the worst place for a feminist in the ‘60s” and she was a woman “who first resisted, then embraced the role of fashion designer”. And thank God she did. Mrs. Prada singlehandedly orchestrated a fashion revolution, taking the brand from tired leather goods house to one of the hottest labels in the business.  



The turning point for the Prada? The Nylon Handbag. Debuting in 1985, it was this little black bag that made Prada into well, Prada. It was sleek, chic and unique - and totally unlike other popular styles at the time, which Mrs. Prada labelled “bourgeois and boring” in an interview with Vogue in 2019. Nylon was simple and plain, elevating this kind of fabric was virtually unheard of – this was long before the days of trash bags and leather Lays (looking at you Balenciaga).



After the insane success of their nylon bags in the ‘80s, Prada entered the ‘90s on top. Just at the same time another phenomenon was exploding: the supermodel. In 1994, Prada sent Kate Moss down the runway in a little white slip dress. And the cult moments that followed are endless: think Kate Moss and Naomi Campbell shot head-to-toe in Prada by Patrick Demarchelier for Harper’s Bazaar’s May 198 issue, or Jennifer Aniston in a Prada corset on the cover of W Magazine in 1999. In an age of influence, working with celebrities is the standard. But then? Prada were changing the game.

Today, you see the usual suspects – think Kaia Gerber and Kendall Jenner, Tom Holland and Austin Butler. But alongside them are some more unconventional names. Case in point? The pra-daddy, Jeff Goldblum. Alongside Twin Peak’s Kyle MachLachlan, Goldblum walked at Prada’s SS23 Menswear show and quickly became one of the most unexpected stars of fashion week.



But the muse of the moment? Hunter Schafer. From starring in their Spring 2022 campaign to her look for the 2021 Met Gala, Schafer has become the ultimate Prada girl. And the significance of the relationship shouldn’t be underestimated. Having risen to fame through her role in HBO’s Euphoria, the 23-year-old is a force of nature. As a young trans woman in the industry, Schafer is helping to craft a new gen of It girls and a fresh approach to ‘celebrity’. One that is more inclusive, more accessible, and geared up towards positive change. Her work with Prada proves that while the house may be a heritage brand, they’re still leading the way.

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Flannels blog article
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PRADA
AVIATOR JACKET
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WOOL LOGO JUMPER
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CASHMERE V NECK JUMPER
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PLEAT SKIRT
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MARY JANE BRUSHED LEATHER PUMPS

Another contributing factor to their unwavering legacy? Miuccia Prada’s friendship with Baz Luhrmann. Prada worked on the costuming for both The Great Gatsby (2013) and Elvis (2022). The brand is cemented in pop culture. Read: Bianca Stratford (portrayed by Larisa Oleynik) in cult classic 10 Things I Hate About You, stating, ‘I think there’s a difference between like and love, because I like my Sketchers, but I love my Prada backpack’. And then there’s The Devil Wears Prada. The endlessly quotable (Stanley Tucci telling us to gird our loins lives rent free in our head) cultural touchstone was literally named after Prada. It’s hard to get more iconic than that. And as far as we’re concerned, if the Devil Wears Prada, we’re buying one-way tickets to hell.

Cut to 2022 and the house is responsible for countless It bags and cult sensations – and there’s no end to what Prada can do. Like acquiring Helmut Lang and Jil Sander, and the unstoppable rise of their sister brand Miu Miu. And yes, we’re referencing the miro mini that broke the internet. Call it the Prada effect. If we’re assigning the brand a label, it’s this – they’re the fortune teller of the industry. Honestly, if we weren’t convinced of Miuccia Prada’s genius, we’d suspect it was witchcraft. The house not only shapes, but dictates, the trends each season.

KENDALL PRADA
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BELTED BOMBER
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WOOL NET MIDI SKIRT
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SPAZZOLATO
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MARY JANE BRUSHED LEATHER PUMPS

Take the Pradification of the tank top as evidence. Today, the term ‘white Prada Tank Top’ generates almost 13 million search results. First modelled on the FW22 runway by Kaia Gerber and Hunter Schafer (see what we mean by legion of It girls?), since then, it’s become a favourite of both Bella Hadid and Julia Fox. To turn something as unassuming as a white tank top into a season-defining cult buy is no small feat, but that’s the power of Prada.

To what do they owe their success? It’s hard to pinpoint. But perhaps the roots lie in the brand’s subversion of the norm. In the ‘90s, Miuccia Prada threw out all notions of conventional beauty and sexuality. Its fashion folklore that Ms. Prada is the one who made ‘ugly’ chic. While Versace were showing iridescent minis and Tom Ford was debuting collections oozing sex appeal for Gucci, Prada was looking at fashion through an eccentric lens.

PRADA KYLE
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RELAXED BLAZER
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NYLON SHIRT
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RE-NYLON PANT
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PELLE BELTBAG
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BRUSHED LEATHER STOVEPIPE BOOTS
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Flannels blog article

In SS96, Prada showed stiff, unflattering silhouettes and less-than-chic colours: think murky browns, slimy tones and pond greens. These styles were all a little more schoolteacher than supermodel, and it felt like they shouldn’t work. But of course, they did, because it’s Prada. And this unorthodox approach has held up. For SS23? It’s translated into chunky knits with geometric patterning, bulky turtlenecks and thick, wool maxi skirts.

Their influence on fashion? It’s infinite. For SS12, Mrs. Prada showed ‘50s-inspired diner-wear on the runway – think pink tulle, pastel green cardigans and sharp geometric prints. The diner-chic craze was almost instant, with every glossy magazine shooting editorials filled with milkshakes, jukeboxes and vintage cars. And it wasn’t a one off. For 2012 it was dinercore, for 2019 it was doll-like padded headbands, for 2014 it was Velcro sandals. We could go on…

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PRADA
PUFF BLAZER JACKET
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RE-NYLON PLEATED SKIRT
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LEATHER BOMBER
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RE-NYLON PANT

Today? Prada is untouchable. And as we look towards the ‘20s and anticipate a new era of fashion, Prada’s co-creative direction with Raf Simmons is set to be a hallmark of this decade in fashion. The work so far? It’s been fresh, impulsive and dynamic. Think limitless creativity that always honours the brand’s DNA. The co-creative direction shows this - for Prada, the future is bright (or dark if we’re speaking aesthetically).

It’s Prada’s world, we’re just living in it.

DISCOVER PRADA
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