INDUSTRIAL R EVOLUTION
Miuccia Prada takes a stroll down memory lane, rediscovering the brand’s greatest hits for the glorious ’90s sportswear silhouettes of Pre-Fall ’18.
Throughout the years, Miuccia Prada has been at the fashion forefront of innovation, redefining the codes of femininity and setting remarkable benchmarks with her hard-hitting designs and ideas, creating trends and must-haves for the fashion set season after season. To mark her 40th anniversary since taking the helm at her family-owned label in 1978, Mrs. Prada ventured into the brand’s archives for a PreFall ’18 collection that pays tribute to the Italian house’s iconic moments. There are a handful of designers that are able to reference their past work so skilfully and do so without looking like they have run out of fresh ideas. However, Mrs. Prada seamlessly mixed and matched instantly recognisable motifs from past collections, creating new fabric hybrids and repurposing them for the collection. From the unexpected geometric prints of the Banal Eccentricity collection from Spring/Summer ’96, lipstick prints that looked like bullets from Spring Summer ’00 to the haute fiery flames from Spring/Summer ’12—the madcap print combinations for Pre-Fall ’18 spark major déjà vu vibes as they work harmoniously on tailored short-sleeved shirts, skirts, and handbags.
Mrs. Prada also revisited her favoured fabric, the Pocone nylon, which revolutionised the brand at the start of the decade. “I have a passion for nylon—a love I could die for,” says Mrs. Prada, who challenged the idea of luxury when she first introduced the Vela nylon backpack in the ’80s. “Nylon is the emblem of the industrial side and when we started doing it, it was completely usual.” The brand’s signature material is revived and reimagined through a range of must-have ’90s-sportswear-meets-industrial-chic pieces. From padded coats to oversized anoraks, these cool monochromatic outerwear, styled alongside knee-length skirts and bucket hats, are essentially contemporary protective uniforms.
Not forgetting the logomania trend, flashy jewels are replaced with worker name tags while mini neck bags are branded with retro Prada logos. On that note, the collection also sees the return of Linea Rossa, the red line prominently placed on Prada Sport garments in the early ’00s.
The emphasis on functionality and protection also trickles down to footwear. In a world dominated by ugly-dad sneakers and cool kitten heels, perhaps the most intriguing pair of shoes for Prada’s Pre-Fall comes in the form of the neoprene Bianco stiletto sock boots, with an ankle strap and buckle clip—talk about putting safety with style!
Prada Pre-Fall ’18 is a perfect visual representation of Mrs. Prada’s 40-year journey with the fashion house—ironic, given that she doesn’t celebrate anniversaries. Her appreciation of the brand’s past is exactly what she needs to course her future into uncharted territory: “We don’t know where we are going, which is of course a scary thought, but it is also interesting. Big changes are happening.” Prada, 2.22.00 & 3.24.00, Level 2 & 3, Pavilion KL. Tel: 03-2631 5025