Just a few days after Miuccia Prada sent an outstanding collection down the runway at the label’s Fondazione in Milan, the legendary designer has announced that she is inviting a new designer into the fold: Raf Simons.

On the final day of the city’s AW20 fashion shows, Mrs. Prada called a press conference where details of the arrangement were revealed: Simons will join as co-creative director, and the two will work with equal responsibilities.  

“The partnership, encompassing all creative facets of the Prada label, is born from a deep reciprocal respect and from an open conversation – it is a mutual decision, proposed and determined by both parties,” a statement read. “Conceptually, it is also a new approach to the very definition of creative direction for a fashion brand – a strong challenge to the idea of singularity of creative authorship… As times change, so should creativity.”

Whispers surrounding Simons’ appointment first began after Prada’s AW20 menswear show in January, as people took to social media to point out what they took to be references to the Belgian designer’s work.

Miuccia and Raf will send their first co-created collection down the runway as part of Milan Fashion Week’s SS21 season. Roll on September: it can’t come soon enough.

Read the full statement from the brand below. 

Milan, February 23rd 2020 - From 2 April 2020, Raf Simons will join the Prada brand as co-creative director, working in partnership with Miuccia Prada with equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making. The first Prada collection designed by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons will be the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020. 

This partnership, encompassing all creative facets of the Prada label, is born from a deep reciprocal respect and from an open conversation - it is a mutual decision, proposed and determined by both parties. It opens a new dialogue, between designers widely acknowledged as two of the most important and influential of today. Conceptually, it is also a new approach to the very definition of creative direction for a fashion brand - a strong challenge to the idea of singularity of creative authorship, whilst also a bold reinforcement of the importance and power of creativity in a shifting cultural landscape. 

As times change, so should creativity. The synergy of this partnership is far-reaching. It is a reaction to the era in which we live - an epoch with fresh possibilities, permitting a different point of view and approach to established methodologies. It can also be seen as the first step towards broader scopes of interaction - an initiation of free exchange and collaboration, a questioning of creative conventions. 

Innovation is an inherent facet of the identity of Prada: a willingness to push boundaries, to experiment, to take opportunities to advance. If the notion of a partnership is to work jointly, the result of that conversation may not only be product but also the propagation of a thought and a culture. A pure vision of creativity, with the product a vehicle for these thoughts. 

The distinct values and ethos of the Prada brand remain unchanged: this radical creative dialogue, indeed, is a reiteration of the philosophies of both Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. It is perfectly in tune with each designer’s individual history of reinvention, provocation, brave exploration and the power of ideas - now, brought together.