ART OF STYLE
Less is definitely more according to creative director Miuccia Prada as she returns to simplicity for Prada Spring/Summer ’20. By Mughni Che Din.
You could say that the Prada Spring/Summer ’20 show was the “golden ticket” at Milan Fashion Week. And quite literally, as the presentation exuded a gilded tone, where guests were greeted by giant gold columns and pillars as they entered the Prada Fondazione Deposito. To add to the vintage atmosphere, the show space was also beautifully floored in geometric tiles in shades of white, lilac, lemon, teal, and black. Think mid-century Milanese salon meets Art Deco— much like the Prada Galleria flagship in Milan that just celebrated its 100th anniversary—a stark switcheroo from her industrialist-goth ambience for Autumn/Winter ’19.
What prevails season after season is Mrs Prada’s innate ability to appeal to a wide rage of personalities. Who else could have the power to bring Hollywood icons and music game changers like Nicole Kidman, Wes Anderson, and rapper A$AP Rocky into one room? An unconventional cast of “who’s who” to say the least, but therein lies the power of Mrs Prada’s inimitable ingenuity to dive deep into the inner psyche of fashion.
For those who have taken a liking to those logocentric tops and America’s Cup windbreakers, kitschy banana prints, and hot wheel motifs from past seasons, the new collection felt like a strong juxtaposition to the flashy pieces Prada aficionados are accustomed to. Instead, Mrs Prada opted for a clean, paredback, and elegant collection, with nods to decades of the ’20s, ’40s, and ’70s.
“Reduction to an essence,” as stated in the show notes. “The power of women over clothing, and of style over fashion.” To jumpstart her campaign in reclaiming the power of the “wearer”, Mrs Prada opened the show with a light grey ribbed knit polo shirt and a calf skimming white silk gauze skirt paired with gold-buckled chunky heeled loafers, reminiscent of her minimalist collections from the ’90s. Tailoring reigned supreme in retro double-breasted blazers, often styled with a pair of relaxed fit trousers and modest A-line midi skirts. Even the more embellished pieces were simple in nature. For instance, leather skirts, diaphanous cotton dresses, and long coats adorned with motifs of beads and sequins that exuded a sense of quiet luxury.
Always on point with clever details, the accessory highlight this season was a futuristic floppy hat that came in multiple material combinations; picture the current bucket hat re-envisioned with ’40s sophistication. Mrs Prada also swapped pearl necklaces with chunky oversized shells, imbuing the spirit of post-war style of strict rationing, worn with whitecollared shirts, cashmere sweaters, and bouclé suits.
Mrs Prada’s notion of simplicity and classicism trickled down to her bags—always a season must-have. Woven leather bucket totes, metallic fishnet pouches, and evergreen leather crossbody bags, themed around the ’70s bourgeois style, made serious objects of desire. Elsewhere, shoes ranging from geometric sandals to platform espadrilles emanated a quirky and nonchalant attitude.
As one of the most powerful and influential figures in fashion, Mrs Prada is no stranger to creating new dialogues through her collections, often sparking fresh perspectives on the ever-evolving socio-political landscape. This season is no different, however what’s important to note is her clear-cut message that’s needed now, more so than ever, in this Big Blue Marble we call home. How can conscious consumerism exist in this current state of fragility? For now, this season’s collection may serve as an answer, as with the alpha alliance of Belgian designer Raf Simons at the helm as co-creative director—a celebration of ideas that will no doubt take the label beyond the future. After all, two heads are certainly better than one. “We have to re-look at how creativity can evolve,” the former creative director for Dior and chief creative officer for Calvin Klein said at a press conference, to which Mrs Prada responded with “I'm very excited ... and this, will bring new wind.” A wind of change, indeed.
It all started with a story of a man whose groundbreaking invention of gabardine in 1879 revolutionised rainwear, which up until then, had typically been heavy and uncomfortable to wear. Breathable, versatile, and above all, weatherproof, the lightweight fabric gave way to a new spirit of exploration in the Victorian age. Think the Nobel Peace Prize laureate Dr Fridtjof Nansen, who in 1893 became the first recorded explorer to take the Burberry gabardine to the poles as he set sail for the Arctic Circle. Or perhaps even air commodore Edward Maitland, who travelled from South London’s Crystal Palace to Russia in 1908 on a hot air balloon wearing the heritage house’s innovative garb, which set the world’s long-distance overseas record. At a time when corseted lace bustiers and ribboned bonnets reigned supreme, it seemed quite perplexing for such modern inventions to exist alongside conventionalism. But it is this exact duality that caught the Burberry creative director’s attention, culminating into what would be his third ready-to-wear collection at the historic house.
“Thomas Burberry was a young pioneer and a self-made man who built this company during the Victorian era—a time in Britain for great change and progress, and an era that has always inspired me and my work,” said Riccardo Tisci on his show notes for Spring/ Summer ’20. My first year at Burberry was about understanding and refining the new codification for the house,” he continued. “But with that foundation in place, I feel ready to start exploring what’s at the heart of this incredible brand.” Indeed, it only took three seasons for the 45-year-old Italian to breathe new life into the luxury label’s 164-year-old legacy, but in doing so, a new vocabulary has formed, bridging the gap between its illustrious past, and the future.
It seemed only natural then, for Riccardo to dub his latest collection “Evolution”. Diving deep into its archives, this remix of eclectic (yet quintessentially British) elements were met with innovative techniques and classic fabrications; some, even Thomas Burberry himself would be proud of. Amid Victorian-inspired silhouettes of cinched waists and elaborate sleeves, reconstructed trench coats with silk panels and draped chain embellishments
stood out, imbuing a sense of futurism to the brand’s patrimony pieces, while box-pleat skirt suits romanticise sharp and sleek tailoring (a nod to Riccardo’s Givenchy years, no doubt). Elsewhere, hand-sketched and painted collaged animal prints adorn breezy silk shirts and handkerchief skirts, paying homage to the spirit of exploration Burberry once pioneered in the late 19th century. But here’s a kicker: for all its whimsical mishmashery of multiple epochs, where Riccardo excelled at most, is his ingenuity at modulating garments. Take for example the collection’s slinky corseted evening dresses, which at a snap of a button, detaches to reveal a risqué cocktail number while step-through skirts enable its wearer to go from a ruffled lace gown to a party frock in a hot second.
It’s this exact innovation that resonates well with the maison’s avant-garde founder. After all, this is a label of many firsts: the first fashion house to cover the distance of 1,117 miles in 31 and a half hours, the first luxury brand to adopt the ‘See Now/Buy Now’ business model, and also the first label to debut its collection on Twitter. Continuing this irreverent spirit, Riccardo has taken great care to diversify his creative vision at Burberry, concluding in a vast contrast between the collection’s more sophisticated offerings from its streetlethic counterparts. Consider it as a more globalised perspective, one where utilitarian trench jackets are turned into slinky slips and sports shorts transformed into evening wear. In an interview with fashion critic Sarah Mower, the designer said “society has changed, the world is changing and now people want to wear different things. It doesn’t matter which country it comes from. So the globalisation of style is a different approach for me today.” And for the future, too.