Of course, when people think designer, they think of one of the most iconic and enduring brands of all time, a brand that truly defines Italian luxury – Prada. Prada was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada, Miuccia Prada’s grandfather, and his brother, Martelli. They started as a leather goods shop, specializing in English imports and animal goods. The brand remained consistent in their business model for almost 50 y
ears before Miuccia was permitted to exert her creative image on the brand, at which time the fashion house’s path was altered forever. Miuccia took Prada to a new level of status, creativity, and international regard, cementing the brand as a timeless constant in the fashion world. Under Miuccia’s careful watch, sales were brought up from $450,000 to $674 million in less than just 20 years.
It wasn’t until 1992 that Miuccia decided to let her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, handle the logistics of Prada (while she still remained heavily involved as head designer) as she embarked on a new creative endeavor. Miu Miu, named after the designer’s family nickname, was founded in order to appeal to younger clients of celebrity status, pushing a fresh “anti-status” status symbol in this new brand. Miuccia started focusing more on innovative and shocking clothing that journalists praised as “ugly chic.” Miu Miu was prioritizing blatantly unsexy garments in the traditional sense, but simultaneously creating a new style that bridged the gap between desire and fashion. It is this conceptual novelty that created the sexy allure of the brand from a consumer’s perspective, totally fabricating a new idea of what female sexuality and form is. This is Miu Miu’s claim to fame that makes them a girl’s first choice for hot but different designer, quintessentially cool.
One trend that Miu Miu has remained true to since its first collection is the idea of deconstructed masculine executive wear, including khaki and chino fabric, plaid, double breasted suits, and belts. Miuccia took the facets of Italian luxury that exist in Prada and made it younger, edgier, and more fun. She has been showing the low-waisted khaki skirt with a belt in longer lengths since her first few collections, but in the past two years, Miu Miu has brought this concept back not only with a vengeance, but with a twist. As Y2K fashion has taken hold on 2020’s fashion, Miuccia made the micro-mini skirt trend completely her own, and in many ways, solidified it as a mainstream trend. She is doing her khaki pleated skirts with belts, but making them even shorter and even more low waisted. Miuccia showed this in full force in SS21 RTW. She decided to use the micro mini as a vehicle for shock, and in turn has completely reenergized the trend, making it a tenet of the 2022 fashion scape.
Another trend that Miuccia has employed heavily in her collections from the last two years is the beaded and jewel detailing specifically referencing Elizabethan and Rococo aristocratic court style. This specific jeweled diagonal diamond print is reminiscent of true Italian luxury with ties to iconoclasticism (think Alaïa and D&G.) The past two years, this specific beading pattern has been spottable on almost every runway show, even the resort wear. This is a consistent motif Miuccia employs for her more ornate pieces, usually paired with simple or even athleisure pieces.
One more notable trend that Miu Miu has employed in the last two years is the sports leisure color scheme of red, white, and blue. This is super reminiscent of peak 90’s Tommy Hilfiger color blocked red, white, and blue garments they showed with models like Kate Moss, giving the aesthetic of young-Americana-country-club-athleisure. With the line/striping and color blocking work, it looks almost 60’s mod-esque with a modern twist in terms of fabric and use. Miuccia has brought these colors into the forefront with their more classic or athleisure looking pieces, which gives the mood of Shirley-Temple-transatlantic-1940’s combined with this 90’s TH inspiration. The deep navy blue and red is really catching on in mainstream fashion and Miu Miu has already started moving more towards white, gray, khaki, and plaid, positioning themselves back into their classic executive look bridged with the aforementioned aesthetic.
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