With the rare ability to connect, function, and form, Prada continues to innovate with the goal for a more sustainable future and the sensitivity to look ahead, affirming it as one of the most progressive brands of our time. Take a look at ten of its most prominent moments in history below.
1. 1988: Prada presents its first Fall/Winter 1988 collection on Milan’s Catwalk
Prada’s first Fall/Winter 1988 collection on Milan’s Catwalk.
• Miuccia Prada released her first ready to wear collection for Fall/Winter 1988. Her designs based on clean lines and understated luxury cleared a path for innovation and modernity in a time of glamourous excess
2. 1990: Prada introduces nylon to its RTW collections
Prada introduces nylon to its RTW collections.
• Since the 1980’s, Prada’s iconic collection of functional nylon handbags led the world to reconsider the common trends.
• “Suddenly nylon started to look more intriguing to me than couture fabrics. I decided to introduce it to the catwalk and it challenged, even changed, the traditional and conservative idea of luxury. I am still obsessed with it,” said Miuccia Prada.
• A decade later, Prada introduced nylon to its men’s and women’s ready-to-wear collections, and it remains one of the most recognizable codes of the brand today
3. 1996: Prada’s Spring/Summer 1996 RTW Fashion Show
Kate Moss in Prada’s Spring/Summer 1996 RTW Fashion Show.
• Using clashing colors that hadn’t had seen much light since the seventies, such as muted avocado greens and earthy browns, Miuccia Prada challenged convention and the basic ideals of ‘taste’, giving her a name as one of the most progressive and pioneering designers of our time
4. 2007: The Silk Turban makes the highlight of Prada’s Spring/Summer 2007 RTW women’s show
Prada’s Spring/Summer 2007 RTW show.
• For her Spring/Summer collection in 2007, Miuccia sent bare legged models in ultra-short tunics down the runway, in spectacular jewel-toned turbans, much to the delight of her trusted followers
5. 2018: Prada relaunches the classic Prada Linea Rossa
Prada relaunches the classic Prada Linea Rossa in 2018.
• First launched in 1997, Prada relaunches its sport-infused line Linea Rossa, as an evolved technical collection, keyed to the ideology of the twenty-first century
• Debuting at the men’s and women’s Fall/Winter 2018 shows, minimalism remains key to the design ethos. The reengineering includes the red flash of the iconic Prada Linea Rossa emblem
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6. 2018: Outstanding Achievement Award to Miuccia Prada
Miuccia Prada during the 2018 Fashion Awards in London.
• On December 10, Miuccia Prada received the Outstanding Achievement Award, presented by the British Fashion Council for her outstanding contribution to the global fashion industry, and her original and pioneering approach and vision.
• “I am so happy to be here because more and more I feel part of this community. For all of us who work in fashion, I think we have to feel the responsibility of defending human rights and freedom in this moment are in danger,” said Prada.
7. 2019: The Prada Bowling Bag returns
Prada Bowling Bag returns as part of the Prada Resort runway show in 2019.
• An archival style, originally presented as part of the Spring/Summer 2000 ‘Sincere Chic’ collection, the cult ‘Bowling Bag’ it is also an echo of mid-twentieth-century accessories.
• Marking the 20th anniversary of the debut of this then-cult and now-archetypal model, it was represented in New York on May 2 as part of the Prada Resort runway show in four classic color combinations.
8. 2019: Prada Re-Nylon initiative
Prada Re-Nylon initiative
• Quite literally turning trash into treasure, Prada Re-Nylon employs regenerated nylon Econyl as the basis for a new circular supply chain. Obtained by recycling plastic waste collected in oceans and textiles, Econyl yarn can be recycled indefinitely without the loss of quality.
• As part of the Re-Nylon sustainability initiative’s short films produced by National Geographic, we follow the Sudanese -Australian model and Prada reporter, along with Joe Cutler, National Geographic Explorer, and Freshwater Conservationist, to Lake Ossa in Cameroon, as they speak with local experts about Prada’s Re -Nylon transparent supply chain.
9. 2019: The Prada Nylon re-edition bags fast become the new it-bag
Photo: Instagram/@hoskelsa
• An iconic bag of the Prada house in the early 2000s, it was reintroduced in 2019, and quickly gained a cult following from celebrities and influences worldwide such as Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Elsa Hosk.
10. 2020: Raf Simons joins Miuccia Prada as co-creative director
Raf Simons joins Miuccia Prada as co-creative director
• Belgian designer Raf Simons joins the Prada brand as co-creative director, working in partnership with Prada. With equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making, their first collection will be the Spring/Summer 2021 marking a new era for the brand.
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