PRADA: AW23
Where to begin? Just order everything in triplicate. This was a purposeful Prada collection to keep. One of those classics that we all love so much that makes you want it ALL. From the opening white circle skirts bristling with petals and flowers to the white leather petal trimmed shoes all wickedly pointy, to the cocooning ‘puffa’ skirts it was pure pure Prada DNA at full force of fashion nature. New and exciting with such resolve. As the show started the low steel roof above us rose to reveal the metal pillars of the Fondazione space burgeoning and blossoming with white and green foliage. Nature underpinning everything here. The invitation to the show had arrived with a copy of the Fondazione exhibition catalogue ‘Recycling Beauty’ and so the collection was underlined by the shared sentiments of this and belief in the wonder and awe of beauty. It also came with a white stylised cotton flower, given as a symbol of affection.
The creativity of AW23 came from a poignant place, entitled ‘Taking Care’ and who doesn’t want to do that right now - from the heart. “We looked at uniforms that represent care, like nurses because the act of caring is a beautiful thing. We wanted to transform these uniforms of caring into uniforms of beauty,” Miuccia Prada explained. And so, there was a soft rigour to the simplicity and uniformity of a shirt, jacket and skirt and a three quarter swing coat. There were those classic Prada colour combinations too with sugar pink and pistachio green; mustard yellow shoes; a hot pink jacket and an orange ballerina with epic leaf like curling sides – all at play.
The “Prada’s wedding dress” played its most personal part as well inspiring the opening looks - becoming day wear pieces as modern and effortless as we might have expected on the Prada’s big day. A series of white cotton poplin shirt dresses with just the right crisp swishy ‘train’, so new and yet so very heartland Prada while perhaps intended as an evening uniform were also let’s get married worthy.
There is a great consciousness to everything that Prada does as a company at the forefront of progressive thinking within our creative world. It shone brightly here. Miuccia Prada added, “Reality is rich. Real life is much more rich than any fantasy. And therefore more important. For me, the real meaning of what we do is to bring importance to the everyday. Everyday life deserves beautiful things. Because every day of life counts. Together Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada make it count.
