This week’s throw-back, presents a woman who, in addition to an unswerving sense of style, has never let a system or a time question her values. With her vision she made the family business Prada a worldwide trend. And between us, not many people can entitle a global luxury brand by their nickname.
Miuccia Prada was born on 5 May 1949 in Milan. At the age of 28, she took over the family business from her mother Luisia, who had taken over the company, founded in 1913, from her grandfather Mario Prada. Under her management, the company achieved world renown. By establishing a new form of luxury, with the special help of a new keypiece. The clean black nylon bag became a timeless classic redefining luxury till today.
In 1989 Miuccia presented her Prêt-à-Porter Autumn/Winter collection, which was celebrated by the critics. It was characterised by a simple style in minimalist execution standing in contrast to the sumptuous fittings of other brands that time. Its stylistic character showed the “bad taste”, which was particularly carried by the fabric patterns. Miuccia tried the mixture of translucent latex, plastic and satin, mixed with fragments of mirrors and film strips. The designs, which took some getting used to, were associated with plastic tablecloths from the 1950s. The numerous imitations showed how successfully their style had impressed itself on the audience. In 1992 Miuccia expanded Pradas fashion range and founded the Miu Miu label, which bears her nickname. It is an entry-level label in the cheaper category and was inspired by the hippies’ early dress style with natural materials and colours. In the following year, 1993, Miuccia was honored with the international award “Council of Fashion Designers of America”. She received the award for her clear design line, excellent material quality and excellent handmade execution. In 1994 Miuccia showed her fashion creations for the first time in a show in New York.
In her designs, Miuccia has always shown a good sense for people and their future. It would be an insult to limit this on fashion. During the 1970s she was involved in the women’s rights movement in Milan. It is wrong to describe her as an activist, but rather as a person who, without being influenced by external circumstances, pursues her own values, which were ahead of her time then and are far from being taken for granted even today. In an interview with the Frankfurter Allgemeine Zeitung, she says: “For a long time, I gave almost no thought at all to the bodies of the people who wear my designs, not even about gender. I was always interested in an idea, and I thought it looked good on any body.”Her hand for business and her feeling for zeitgeist, which is reflected in her designs, made Miuccia an Italian fashion Icon. From her grandfather’s production company for traditional leather goods, she had created an international luxury brand which is more relevant today than ever. One reason why Miu Miu as well as Prada itself have become established cult brands, is definitely the vision of a woman, who was always one step ahead of her time.
Her hand for business and her feeling for zeitgeist, which is reflected in her designs, made Miuccia an Italian fashion Icon. From her grandfather’s production company for traditional leather goods, she had created an international luxury brand which is more relevant today than ever. One reason why Miu Miu as well as Prada itself have become established cult brands, is definitely the vision of a woman, who was always one step ahead of her time.
