Prada

IN 1978, MIUCCIA PRADA TOOK OVER THE FAMILY BUSINESS OF MANUFACTURING WELL-CRAFTED SUITCASES, HANDBAGS, AND STEAMER TRUNKS FOR THE MILANESE ELITE, WHICH HER GRANDFATHER MARIO PRADA STARTED IN 1913. AS WELL AS BEING CO-CEO TOGETHER WITH HER HUSBAND, SHE BECAME THE HEAD DESIGNER. SHE STARTED BY UPDATING THE COMPANY'S MERCHANDISE, CREATING AND DESIGNING HERSELF DESPITE HAVING NO FORMAL FASHION TRAINING. PRADA’S POPULARITY ACCELERATED WHEN IN 1985, SHE PRODUCED A SERIES OF BLACK NYLON HANDBAGS AND BACKPACKS WITH UNDERSTATED LABELING. IN 1989, PRADA’S FIRST WOMEN'S READY-TO-WEAR COLLECTION WAS LAUNCHED, FLAUNTING LUXURIOUS FABRICS BUT CLEAN LINES AND BASIC COLOURS.

PRADA IS SYNONYMOUS WITH CUTTING-EDGE STYLE, ALWAYS CHALLENGING FASHION’S PRE-CONCEIVED AESTHETIC IDEAS, OFTEN REINTERPRETING THEM THROUGH A DIFFERENT AND UNUSUAL PERSPECTIVE.

PRADA IS VISIONARY, CHALLENGING CONVENTIONS WITHOUT LIMITATIONS. THE USE OF TECHNOLOGY, TOGETHER WITH TRADITIONAL KNOW-HOW, MAKES INTERESTING USE OF THE PAST AND PRESENT AND CREATES THE FUTURE. TRADITIONAL BOURGEOIS CODES ARE RECONSTRUCTED AND REDEVELOPED IN THE NEVER-ENDING SEARCH FOR INNOVATION. PRADA IS RENOWNED FOR HER MINIMALIST DESIGNS THAT ACHIEVE A TRADITIONAL STYLE WITH A MODERN TWIST. AFTER YEARS OF EXPERIMENTATION AND RESEARCH, PRADA RECENTLY PRODUCED THEIR FIRST PIECES MADE FROM RECYCLED NYLON, A SUSTAINABLE AND REVISED PIECE OF PRADA’S HISTORY. THEY HAVE ALSO PLEDGED TO GO FUR-FREE. EMPLOYEES FROM A MIXED UNIVERSE OF CULTURES ARE CHOSEN FOR THEIR INTERNATIONAL APPROACH, BRINGING DIFFERENT SKILLS AND CREATIVE INTERESTS TO MAINTAIN A TIRELESS FOCUS ON EXPERIMENTATION.

AN EXHIBITION OF PRADA'S WORK WAS SHOWCASED, ALONG WITH ELSA SCHIAPARELLI, AT NEW YORK'S METROPOLITAN MUSEUM OF ART IN 2012. MIUCCIA PRADA HAS RECEIVED MANY AWARDS AND HONORS OVER THE YEARS, INCLUDING THE MCKIM MEDAL LAUREATE (FOR ACHIEVEMENTS IN FASHION AND BUSINESS) AT THE VILLA AURELIA OF THE AMERICAN ACADEMY IN ROME IN 2010. IN 2004, SHE WAS HONORED BY THE CFDA WITH THE INTERNATIONAL AWARD, AND SHE WAS APPOINTED "OFFICIER DANS L'ORDRE DES ARTS ET DES LETTRES" BY THE FRENCH MINISTRY OF CULTURE IN 2006. SHE WAS AWARDED THE FIRST INTERNATIONAL DESIGNER OF THE YEAR AT THE 2013 BRITISH FASHION AWARDS AND WON GLAMOUR USA'S WOMAN OF THE YEAR AWARD IN 2016.