CONNECT RELATE PRADA

Great Minds Think Alike

WITH THE ADDITION OF RAF ON THE SCENE, ONCE AGAIN PRADA OPENED A NEW DOOR, HEADING IN A NEW DIRECTION. RAF JOINED MIUCCIA AS CO-CREATIVE DIRECTOR OF PRADA IN 2020. A POETIC DECISION IF YOU ASK ME, WITH THE COMPANY BEGINNING WITH MIUCCIAS GRANDFATHER AND HIS BROTHER. 2 CREATIVE MINDS ARE ALWAYS BETTER THAN ONE, ESPECIALLY WHEN THE LEGACY OF A GLOBAL LUXURY FASHION COMPANY IS ON YOUR SHOULDERS… OF COURSE, THE REASONABLE EXPLANATION WOULD BE THAT MIUCCIA PRADA IS PREPARING FOR HER EXIT AFTER MORE THAN 44 YEARS, ENLISTING THE HELP OF RAF TO EVENTUALLY TAKE OVER. (BUT WERE ALL IN DENIAL…SO WILL ROMANTICISE THE TRUTH AND STICK WITH THE FIRST OPTION) RAF WAS BROUGHT ON BOARD THE PRADA SHIP NOT TO SOLO STEER THE SHIP OR BE THE CAPTAIN, BUT TO SHARE RESPONSIBILITIES THAT COME WITH DIRECTING A WORLDWIDE LUXURY FASHION COMPANY. ACCORDING TO PRADA, THE TWO WILL SHARE EQUAL RESPONSIBILITIES, DESIGN, AND SHAPE FUTURE COLLECTIONS TOGETHER. (PRADA, 2023) AND SO FAR SO GOOD, AS HYPEBEAST REPORTS THAT THE COMPANY HAS SEEN A 21% YEAR OVER YEAR INCREASE IN SALES, REPORTING RECORD- HIGH ANNUAL REVENUE. (KELLY, 2023)

THERE IS ONE UNDERLYING THEME THAT BOTH MIUCCIA AND RAF HAVE MADE A STAPLE WITHIN THEIR PREVIOUS COLLECTIONS, AND THAT’S UNIFORM. A THEME THAT THEY BOTH ADOPTED INTO THIS NEW PRADA COLLECTIVE DESIGN PROCESS. EXECUTED THROUGH CLEAN, MINIMALIST PIECES WITH HEAVY CHARACTER. FROM SKIN-TIGHT BUTTON UP UNITARDS TO INTENTIONAL CREASING. ALONG WITH THE BEGINNING OF THE USE OF A DISTINCTLY RECOGNISABLE DESIGN ASSET INTENSIFIED WITHIN THE MENSWEAR F/W 2021 COLLECTION, TITTLES, “POSSIBLE FEELINGS”. THIS NEW ADDITION OF HEAVY DIRECT LITERAL SYMBIOTIC REFERENCES, USING THE PRADA TRIANGLE SHAPE THROUGHOUT THE COLLECTION. A LITERAL RESPONSE TO CREATING A INSTANTLY RECOGNISABLE EMBLEM IN A NEW WAY INCREASING BRAND AWARENESS THROUGH THE ITEMS SOLD WITHOUT PLASTERING THEIR LOGO ALL OVER THE ITEMS, THEREFORE ADDING TO THE ITEMS LUXURY STATUS.