Prada Womenswear A/W12

As we sunk our feet into the plush purple carpet at the show, its slightly old fashioned grandeur contrasting with the neon lights looming over us, we contemplated possible themes. There was inevitably going to be a link up with the A/W12-3 menswear collection, which explored power with militant rigour. Perhaps the fear was that the womenswear would really volte face from last season's retro-tinged sweetness into a severe extreme. Of course, Miuccia Prada is a dab hand at volte-facing but would it be an incomprehensible vision. 

Giant baubles and lozenges placed, mainly around the lapels and chest area, were like Prada’s own badges of status as each model tried to outdo one another with decoration

As it turned out, it was an extreme - an extremely pleasurable one, that actually didn’t require too much dissection. The girls' natural colour dip dyed lengthened hair and black panda eye make up united this Prada army but they weren't going to be subjected to mere monotone military garb. The proposition of a black sleeveless coat dress worn over trousers was a potent one and this lean and mean silhouette ran constant throughout the collection. This black passage then segued into a redux of geometric jacquards, reminiscent of Prada collections in the nineties, for the Prada fans to sigh over. Indeed, this was a collection to luxuriate in, rather than over analyse.

The girls' natural colour dip dyed lengthened hair and black panda eye make up united this Prada army but they weren't going to be subjected to mere monotone military garb

The seemingly stern outlook of the collection was always going to be overtaken by the embellishments, which became bigger and bolder as the show went on and invited onlookers to run their hands over, especially when contrasted with an astrakhan foundation. Giant baubles and lozenges placed, mainly around the lapels and chest area, were like Prada’s own badges of status as each model tried to outdo one another with decoration. On that military allusion, it would still be wrong to over think that and raise questions of how this collection relates women’s power dressing, when it is simply powerful, that Miuccia could revel in beautiful clothing without crowing about concept.