The Prada Randomiser is here to splice up your skirts

With so much change happening in fashion right now, if there’s one brand we can rely on to remain stable and consistent, it’s Prada. This afternoon (September 25), the Italian brand delivered its SS26 womenswear collection, hosted at its usual location inside the Deposito of Fondazione Prada in Milan. 

Leading the way to the showspace, bunches of orange and white balloons decorated the street outside, and upon entering, guests discovered a vast orange lacquer floor – like stepping into a big bowl of Heinz tomato soup. Guests including seven piece K-pop band Enhypen, Emma Chamberlain, Peggy Gou and Sadie Sink, all squished onto the front row, while quickly rising R&B star Nia Smith chatted to Felicity Jones. The xx were reunited too, with Romy, Jamie xx and Oliver Sim all in attendance. As guests took their seats, Prada staff got to work hastily polishing the floor before the show could begin. 

Despite being able to always lean on Prada for stability, for its SS26 collection, co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons decided to subtly shake things up. Some skirts combined three in one, as if the Prada randomiser had briefly malfunctioned and stitched three different designs together, in true Frankenstein fashion. The odd day dress too, seemed like it had been accidentally flipped or had mixed up its coding with a pair of trousers in the giant computer generator. 

According to the show notes, the collection was a “response to the overload of contemporary culture,” titled Body of Composition. Simons and Mrs P are no strangers to taking inspiration from contemporary culture and the impacts of the internet (see Prada SS25 specifically), but this collection asked a new question: what happens to our personal style when the algorithm malfunctions? 

Looking to real life, the collection also zoomed out – evaluating how the modern world is impacting women today. “Inevitably, when we create we think about the world around us,” explained Mrs Prada. “The future is unknown. It is fashion that is connected inherently to the world, with a meaning and usefulness. How to face the world, and how to survive.” The examples of looks blended together as one proposes a new type of uniform for women: one that is practical, adaptable and yet still inherently Prada. “Uniform is part of a Prada history,” said Simons, “for us, there is the idea that a woman can be beautiful, elegant and strong in a uniform.” 

Carried over from previous seasons, discretely wired hemlines gave floating materials a stiff appearance (as if the model had frozen on FaceTime), yet are surprisingly malleable. Elsewhere, the designers are making a strong case for workwear silhouettes this season – with matching boxy shirts and tailored trousers echoed in navy, powder blue and khaki. Loose apron-skirts were styled with barely-there strapless tops, pinafore dresses mimicked traditional Swiss folk costumes and long evening gloves made a reappearance, this season is satin, leather and organza.

The loud orange surroundings didn’t dissuade Prada and Simons from using bold colours on the catwalk, building a rich palette of indigo, emerald, pink, lemon yellow and lime green. Meanwhile, an array of familiar faces could be spotted on the runway, with Julia Nobis, Erin O’Connor and Loli Bahia, all walking the show.

It was a collection complete with colours that clashed, materials that wouldn’t usually sit side by side and looks that had somehow blended three in one (to quote the show notes: “juxtaposition here becomes an act of creation”). Like finding an extra long Hula Hoop in your packet of crisps, a Kit Kat with no wafer, or a Malteser with no malt, Prada SS26 was proof that clothes can malfunction and evolve in beautiful ways too – making them all the more covetable.

Scroll through the gallery at the top of the page to see key looks from the collection