After a brief sojourn in Shanghai, where she debuted her SS20 menswear collection, Miuccia Prada was back in Italy to kick off the first day of Milan Fashion Week (at least for many of the Dazed editors who arrived in the city this afternoon).
While her menswear offering saw her resurrect the long-forgotten floppy disc for a new generation, when it came to this season’s womenswear, it seemed like inspiration might have struck during a night in with a movie (truly, she’s just like us!).
With fine-knit cardigans, ribbed polos, a-line skirts, and buttoned-up blouses all high on the iconic designer’s agenda for SS20, the collection had some serious Rosemary’s Baby vibes going on. But then, Prada wouldn’t be Prada without the feeling that things might not quite be as they seem on the surface.
According to Mrs P, style and substance, as opposed to anything trend-led, was the basis of this season’s collection, with much of the offering feeling like a return to Prada’s simplistic roots – particularly given the fact it follows hot on the heels of AW19’s Wednesday Addams-inspired looks. SS20 is all about the woman wearing the clothes, she explained backstage after the show. “It’s about personal style, more style, less useless stuff, but things that are meaningful to the person,” she continued.
Notably, the collection was punctuated with pieces trimmed with what appeared to be offcuts of fabric and surplus materials. Many of the models, including the likes of current campaign girl Gigi Hadid and Freja Beha Erichsen, made their way around the runway wearing floppy, bonnet-style hats which had been stitched together using small, contrasting scraps in plains and prints.
Along with the likes of Chanel, Gucci, and Burberry, Prada recently signed up to the G7 Fashion Pact, making a promise to become more sustainable, ethical, and ecologically conscious within their business. With the legendary fashion house also pledging to use only recycled and recyclable materials within its signature nylon collections and recently releasing a line of refillable, logo-emblazoned water bottles, it seems that, with its SS20 collection, Prada just took another step in the right direction.
