Prada- brand history, famous collections and fashion studies

2. The company was
started in 1913 by Mario
Prada and his brother
Martino as a leather
goods shop – Fratelli
Prada (English: Prada
Brothers) – in Milan,
Italy. Initially, the shop
sold leather goods and
imported English
steamer trunks and
handbags.
Mario Prada did not
believe that women
should have a role in
business, and so he
prevented female
family members from
entering into his
company.
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3. Ironically, Mario's son
harbored no interest in the
business, so it was his
daughter Luisa Prada who
took the helm of Prada as
his successor, and ran it for
almost twenty years…
Her own
daughter, Miuccia Prada,
joined the company in
1970, eventually taking
over for her mother in
1978.

4. Miuccia inherited the
company in 1978. With
Bertelli alongside her as
business manager, Miuccia
was allowed time to
implement her creativity in the
company's designs. She
would go on to incorporate
her ideas into the house of
Prada that would change it.
Initial success was
not instant, as they
were hard to sell due
to the lack of
advertising and high-
prices, but the lines
would go on to
become her first

5. The next big release was a
nylon tote. That same year, the
house of Prada began
expansion across continental
Europe by opening locations in
prominent shopping districts
within Florence, Paris, Madrid,
and New York City. A shoe line
was also released in 1984
She released her first set of
backpacks and totes in 1979. They
were made out of a tough military
spec black nylon.
In 1983, Prada opened a second
boutique in the centre of the Galleria
Vittorio Emanuele in Milan's shopping
heart, on the site of the previous
historic "London House“.

6. 1983 Prada’s boutique opened in the centre of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele, on the site
of the previous historic "London House“.

7. In 1985 Miuccia released the
"classic Prada handbag" that
became an overnight sensation.
Although practical and sturdy, its
sleek lines and craftsmanship
had a luxury that has become
the Prada signature.
In 1987 Miuccia and Bertelli married
Prada's continued success was
attributed to its "working-class" theme
which, Ginia Bellafante at The New
York Times Magazine proclaimed,
"was becoming chic in the high-tech,
IPO-driven early 1990s." Furthermore,
now husband and wife, Miuccia and
Bertelli led the Prada label on a
cautious expansion, making products
hard to come by.

8. Prada launched its women's ready-to-
wear collection in 1989, and the
designs came to be known for their
dropped waistlines and narrow belts.
Prada's popularity increased when the
fashion world took notice of its clean
lines, opulent fabrics, and basic colors.
The logo for the label was not as
obvious a design element as those on
bags from other prominent luxury
brands such as Louis Vuitton. It tried to
market its lack of prestigious appeal,
including the apparel, was its image of
"anti-status" or "inverse snobbery".

9. Prada won another award from the
CFDA, in 1995 as a "designer of the
year" 1996 witnessed the opening of
the 18,000 ft² Prada boutique
in Manhattan, New York, the largest in
the chain at the time. By now the
House of Prada operated in 40
locations worldwide, 20 of which were
in Japan. The company owned eight
factories and subcontracted work from
84 other manufacturers in Italy.
Miuccia's Prada and Bertelli company
were merged to create Prada B.V., and
Patrizio Bertelli was named Chief
Executive Officer of the Prada luxury
company.

10. The Prada Spring/Summer
2009 Ready-to-Wear
fashion show, held on 23
September 2008 in Milan,
got infamous coverage
because of the fact that all
the models on the catwalk
were tottering[ – several of
them stumbled,while two
models fell down in front of
the photographers and had
to be helped by spectators
to get up. They removed
their shoes in order to
continue their walk

11. Runway shows
Previous Prada models and actors
include Daria Werbowy, Gemma
Ward, Vanessa Axente, Suvi Koponen, Ali
Stephens, Vlada Roslyakova and Sasha
Pivovarova, who went on to appear in
Prada's ad campaigns for six consecutive
seasons after opening the Prada fall 2005
runway show. Prada's runway music is
designed by Frédéric Sanchez.

12. Prada boutiques
Prada has commissioned architects, most
notably Rem Koolhaas and Herzog & de
Meuron, to design flagship stores in
various locations. A duplex megastore was
opened in Kuala Lumpur at the Pavilion
Kuala Lumpur in late 2008. Prada
commissioned an unusual multi-purpose
building called the Prada
Transformer in Seoul. And 2009 saw the
opening of a new store on Corso Venezia,
Milan, designed by architect Robert
Baciocchi, focussing on the Prada Made to
Order collection. In June 2012, "Prada
returned to the Middle East with the
opening of its largest boutique“ ever in
Dubai's Mall of the Emirates

13. PRADA’S SIGNATURE STYLE

14. It seems as though Prada is incapable of
doing anything wrong when it comes to
fashion. Some of the boldest, most daring
designs in the history of fashion have come
from the Prada label. Many designers are
hesitant to approach certain boundaries
but Prada continues to unveil outlandish
designs with every line. The great thing
about Prada is the diversity among the line.
They offer a multitude of runway styles but
they also offer everyday, casual designs as
well.
You can't wait to see, not only what the
clothes are like, but also what the hair is
like, what the make-up is like, what the
accessories are like. How many brands do
that? Its another level.
- Italian fashion house Prada brought to the
catwalk soft and strong designs in an
attempt to define the role of women in
society, in a powerful show ending the
second day of Milan’s fashion week.
“In her collections there are all those
typical womanly things, like flowers
and fringes and feathers... mixed with
more serious clothes, made for a
combating woman,” said Prada,
adding that all sides of a woman
should coexist.
Designer Prada, a great lover and
supporter of contemporary art, uses
her clothes as a canvas for
experimenting with fashion, colors,
textiles and textures, yet never
distancing herself from her well-
established, and admired, identity.

15. Above all, Prada would like people to dress
well. "Can I say that who dresses badly is
ignorant?" she has said. "I do not
understand someone who has a beautiful
house and paintings and dresses badly."
An opponent of women revealing too much
flesh, she clamps down in her office on
female staff who think dressing down
means revealing their belly buttons,
claiming "The more sexy you make
yourself appear, the less you will have
sex."
"Her influence is immense. You can go
pretty much anywhere in the world and
people understand Prada is shorthand for
a cool, sophisticated way of dressing. "She
will use unconventional fabrics and mix
bold prints, and eventually this approach
trickles down the runways. She's stayed at
the top of her game because she isn't
afraid of change and will take risks every
season."

16. Prada is one of the most talked about labels in the fashion
industry.
Prada is most known for their incredible dress designs. Their
designs feature intricate detailing and ruched designs seem to be
popular in the latest collection.
Prada is a world renowned designer fashion company
whose designs have been satisfying men and women for
over 90 years.
Prada’s menswear collection offers a wide range of
high-end, ready-to-wear clothing. From dress pants and
dress shirts to shoes, belts and other accessories, Prada
has everything you need to look stylish from head to toe.

17. Prada handbags are some of the top handbag designs in the
entire fashion industry. All over the world, Prada handbags are
the main source of storage and the primary foundation of style
for women of all ages and personal tastes.
Prada handbags are made with the highest quality materials
and the finest craftsmanship to ensure customer satisfaction
with every design. Available in a number of colors, shapes and
sizes.
Prada’s footwear collection has become just as popular as
their clothing and accessories collections.
Prada shoes and boots feature some of the most incredible
designs with the most intricate detailing. The collection
features a wide range of ballet-inspired flats, classic loafers
and traditional boots and heels. Popular colors in the
collection include brown, beige, black and green.

18. From contemporary art to architecture via
cinema, the Prada brand is about much
more than fashion, its founder explains
True to her interest in art and architecture,
Prada has set up a foundation to promote
art exhibitions and off-the-wall projects like
the Prada Transformer – a building by
architect Rem Koolhaas in Seoul which
changes shape depending on its function.
In Paris, Prada backed a 24-hour pop-up
museum that opened and closed in a day
after being used as a nightclub where Kate
Moss showed up to DJ. A more permanent
home for art is an ancient palazzo the
foundation has taken over in Venice.

19. The Prada Pieces We
Will Always Hold In
Our Hearts
Miuccia Prada doesn't stick to what
she knows and does well. She pushes
and transforms her collections each
season to leave us questioning what
we thought of as good taste, and what
we thought we wanted to wear right
now. It's complicated in concept but
still remains within reaches of most
women's wardrobes.

20. The LBD - AW05
Dainty elegant straps, a modest length and
sequin-coated chiffon pieces - the Little
Black Dress never looked better.

21. The Silk Turban - SS07
"I just wanted it to be about
fashion," Miuccia told Vogue Runway's
Sarah Mower about the importance of the
spring/summer 2007 collection. It was a
step away from what she had presented
the season previous - an austere colour
palette of blacks, greys, khakis - an instead
stepped into summer in colour, bringing
back the 20th century glamazon favourite:
the glossy evening turban.

22. The Fantasy-Print Pyjamas - SS08
Miuccia Prada has the knack of taking her
collections one way, and then steering
them completely the other way for the next
season. An example of this was her
spring/summer 2008 show when pixie
prints and fairy colours were worn with
ribbed knits and collared tunics. It was
wearable, desirable fantasy. It's these
pyjamas that defined the seasonal mood
and still remain desirable -
and contemporary - today.

23. The Gold Crush Suit - SS09
There was a seductive allure to this
collection. Accidentally pull one of the black
ribbons and the crumpled fabrics would fall
to the floor. A 17-year-old Jourdan Dunn
took centre stage as she became the first
black model since Naomi Campbell in 1997
to get booked for one of the brand's shows.

24. The Chandelier Sandal - SS10
What could make one happier than the
jingling of Prada's chandelier crystals
tapping across toes?
Still referenced and providing influence
over seven years later, these sandals are
the original Insta-shoe.

25. The Banana Motif - SS11
It was a loud and proud statement that took
Prada's catwalk statements to the extreme.
Who'd have thought that kooky monkeys,
cartoon bananas and graphic stripes would
assemble to create catwalk gold? Miuccia,
of course. While this drop-hem skirt and
other catwalk looks set hearts racing, it
was the fruity earrings that Mrs P wore to
take her bow that the fashion crowd cooed
most over. By the time the collection hit
stores, the banana earrings too became
available to buy.

26. The Blue Sweater - AW11
There was a distinctly feminine mood on
the autumn/winter 2011 catwalks, and
Prada did it best. Nestled amongst A-line
dresses that played up the hourglass
figures of those cast - at the time, boobs
and curves had almost disappeared from
fashion week catwalks, nipped-in Fifties
housewife cardigans and ruffled
balconettes on swooshy-skirted dresses
was a jumper so perfect it outshone the lot.
On the catwalk it was styled with a slim belt
and coordinating cable-knit skirt, but how
mighty this total investment piece would be
across occasions.

27. The Fired-Up Stiletto - SS12
Italians love their cars. They also love their
fashion. So, why shouldn't the two
harmonise to create beauty? Throw in a
sweet-sans-saccharine colour palette and
a nod to the Fifties and you have Prada's
SS12 collection. The stand-out piece?
These hot-on-the-heels stilettos that marry
the influences into one conceptual shoe.
GORUNWAY.COM

28. The Statement Earring - SS12
As pretty as a picture, these enamel and
crystal flowers have achieved cult status.
Look behind the choppy bobs of editors at
fashion week, and you'll see these still crop
up in street-style photographs. They are
best worn as part of a full set, belt
included.

29. The Geometric Suit - AW12
Snazzy suiting is a regular in our
wardrobes today, but they wasn't such a
thing back in 2012. Miuccia has always
tred carefully on the line of bad-taste. She's
not afraid of it, and often brings elements
over to the other side. Take these graphic
prints for instance: oranges, purples, reds
in maze-like graphics that were further
embellished on top. A feast for the eyes.

30. The Luxe Cuff - SS14
Fabulous, colourful, eccentric and totally
impractical - this cuff is the stuff of fashion
fantasy. Accessories lovers reveled in this
summer show as bags with painted faces
and embellished sports socks took
headline slots in the parade. Not a single
earring in sight, every model wore a cuff -
some multiple - on their right wrist.

31. The 22nd Century Geisha Dress - SS13
Line Prada collections up in a row and
none look similar. There'll always be
connections but the links aren't as
transparent in Mrs Prada's collections as
they are for other designers. The one that
stands out the most is the spring/summer
2013 show. Andy Warhol-inspired flowers
lined up across Sixties-like shifts that
looked like the outfits worn by geisha's in
Japan, while duchess satins were wrapped
and warped to create itsy-bitsy skirts and
elegant stoles that also looked to the east.

32. The Scarlet Shearling - AW14
When it comes to winter coats, there's
nothing more desirable than one that ticks
every box: and boy does this boxy
shearling do just that. Warm thanks to fire
engine-red shearling, practical in jet-black
nylon and statement enough to let it be an
outfit's centre piece.

33. The Brocade Mule - SS15
Lily-Rose Depp wore them well, as did
Alexa Chung. These shoes - that came in a
total of five varieties in the show - were the
reminder of the life the SS15 Prada woman
used to live in. The collection was made up
of torn brocades and top-stitching that
hinted at a make-do-and-mend life, with
these challenging slip-ons being the
remainder of her debutante existence.

34. The White Corset - AW16
Heralded "genius" by Vogue's Sarah
Harris, this collection was Miuccia Prada at
her best. Styled in the show over elongated
navy hunting jackets, khaki coats and
brocade evening dresses, the white corset
quickly became a street-style favourite,
and was much imitated on the high street.

35. The Maribou Trim - SS17
It was there on the vintage-style bikinis that
would have found a happy home on a
Fifties-era postcard, and on cuffs, stoles
and on pleated mid-calf skirts. The maribou
trim became a recurring thread in the
spring/summer 2017 show that signaled
true luxury. Feathers aren't easy to wear,
nor maintain.

36. The Fuzzy Cardigan - AW17
"It was so wonderfully, cleverly put
together, so much an emphasis of its own
oddness, that it made an identity crisis look
like longed for," said Vogue's Ellie Pithers
of this collection. As mash-up of cord suits
and vampish red dresses, there was
something for every woman, or at least
every element of the Prada woman's being.
The standout? These embellished
cardigans that came in at £3000. The price
point was high, but so was its desirability.
Try tracking one down.
GETTY IMAGES

37. In 1992, the high fashion brand Miu Miu, named after Miuccia's nickname,
launched. Miu Miu catered to younger consumers, such as celebrities. By 1993
Prada was awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America award for
accessories.

38. The creative process in Miu Miu is completely different from that of Prada. Rather than
being young, Miu Miu is immediate. Prada is very sophisticated and considered; Miu Miu
is much more naïve. The solution, when working on Miu Miu, has to come immediately,
instinctively, spontaneously with whatever is available at the moment.
Miuccia Prada explains her art so clearly, she also executes, maintaining very specific
aesthetics for each brand season after season. It's not only noticeable on the runway,
where the Prada model is mature and equipped with all the essentials, and the Miu Miu
girl is playful, her outfit a bit more carefree and thrown together as if to say, "why not?"
You can notice the difference between Miu Miu and Prada when it comes to ad
campaigns, the It bags or shoes, and the front-row celebrity staples at Fashion Week.
Read on to learn more about each label, and by the time you're studied up, you'll have
arrived at the line that's truly right for you — are you a Prada lady or a Miu Miu girl at
heart?
THE DIFFERENCE BETWEEN
PRADA AND MIU MIU

44. The women imagined by Miuccia Prada, founder and creative director of
the eponymous luxury group, wore corduroy pants, biker berets, and long
velvet skirts that recalled women protests of the 1970s.
Miuccia Prada told reporters ahead of the show.
Models paraded down the catwalk to the sound of electronic music
wearing woollen caps, rough brown pant suits and duffle coats. The set
appeared to be a home, filled with cozy seats and beds with flower linens
and posters on the walls.
Their heads were adorned by bonnets that resembled lion manes, making
them appear regal and strong.
But moments later they slipped into sequined colored, designs decorated
with delicate marabou feathers or knee-length mermaid tail skirts.

45. 1. It was a first
Held inside Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Prada’s Resort 2018 presentation was
the Italian label’s first fashion show dedicated to the season.
2. Sports-inspired pieces stole the show
Logo-emblazoned knee-high socks, Velcro sneakers and tracksuits featured throughout
the collection, giving it a utilitarian undertone.
3. Softer elements played a large part too
Despite the athletic themes, the collection had a decidedly feminine feel thanks to the
sherbet shades that were cast across tissue-thin layers, pleated skirts and ruffled
blouses.
4. Details, details, details
The marabou feather trim Prada has employed the past few seasons was back again,
this time joined by sparkling paillettes and illustrations designed in collaboration with
artist James Jean.
5. Braids are back
Models wore their hair in sets of braids, and managed to do so without looking twee—
stay tuned to see if the hair trend takes off!