Few brands have had such an influence over fashion as Miuccia Prada has in the last few years. Peruse any fashion marketplace—fast and slow— and you’ll likely come across her ideas taking varying degrees of inspiration and outright imitation. Naturally, a new collection from one of the “hottest” brands holds great power. So, what are the ideas Prada puts forward for the taking this season? Well, none, actually.
For Spring/Summer 2024, Prada and Raf Simons say they’re done talking about ideas and instead platforming the technical craft that can all too easily get lost—of no fault of their own—in the brand’s own virality. And as soon as the first few looks emerge, it’s a clear tongue-poke at the copycats. The show, accompanied by a wall of dripping slime, kicked off with a new core silhouette: re-cut suiting impeccably tailored—with a Miuccia twist. Shirt/jacket hybrids were a key piece with outerwear-style lapels and shoulders juxtaposed with undone shirt cuffs and buttons. The high-waisted styling of the belt that cinched the waist was a recurring styling motif and a welcome reset from the ‘low-rise-everything’ we’ve been seeing everywhere.
Then came magic in dress form. The ‘Haze’ dress, crafted in superfine organza and gazar, featured wispy fragments that capered in the air as the models moved forward in camel, pink, sage and white iterations. Prada has favored sheer in recent collections, but this was something else. With an emphasis on technique, the Italian luxury house took on the challenge of fringing. Not just producing it but actually taking it to a whole new level. For some looks, it slipped over short shorts or mimicked a collared shirt elsewhere. Then it showed up with prints and hand-studded eyelets that boggle the mind when you think too hard about the work they entail. If these styles take off as much as other seasons, which they very well should, the copycats are certainly in for some hard yards.
Accessories are always a focal point with Prada, who generally provides the new ‘It’ silhouettes to be coveted by the masses. Only, instead of conceding to the plea for statement, we see more inimitable elegance in silk-satin high pumps with sharply pointed vamps, minimalist, squared-off mules and lace-up leather Derby shoes. Notably added to accessories were the hand-carved head clasps that adorned top-handle evening bags, a token reinterpreted from one first designed in 1913 by Prada’s grandfather and house founder, who travelled the world picking up unique trinkets just like these ones. A fun reflection of the curiosity that underpins Prada’s worldview.
Fabio Zambernardi, the design director of Prada and Miu Miu who resigned this year after three decades by Miuccia’s side, joined the designers for a closing bow. A standing ovation ensued from the crowd, who were all left feeling as gooey as the slime that dripped from the ceiling.
