Welcome to Planet Prada
Words in white form a single line across a black lacquered wall along the corridor of the VIP lounge. They read: “Prada: A cosmos of its own composed of heavenly bodies set in complex orbit. A universe of contradictions and endless elaborations—noble causes and base temptations—where idealism meets vanity, intelligence meets passion, fashion meets fiction.Welcome to the Pradasphere… ”
Late last month, “Pradasphere”—the exhibition that celebrates 30 years with Miuccia Prada at the helm—travelled from Harrods in London to make its Asian debut at Hong Kong’s Central Ferry Pier 4 in a custom-built structure with a harbour view of Kowloon.The exhibition was curated by Prada Creative Director Fabio Zambernardi in collaboration with New York-based designer Michael Rock.
Miuccia Prada said that the exhibition should not be a retrospective, says Rock:“Instead, it would reflect the eco-system of Prada, showcase Miuccia Prada’s unique way to approaching clothes and a portrait of the company at this moment in time.” The team wanted to celebrate all the elements of Prada, but they wanted to do it without confusing the visitor. So they took inspiration from another brand that is successful at putting great works on show—the National History Museum. Rock and Zambernardi split “Pradasphere” into six categories—Origins, Typologies, Evolution, Specimens, Construction and Observation, so the visitor could be guided through Prada’s history with ease.
“The biggest challenge was editing such a vast collection of amazing work. There was too much to choose from, but to make something coherent we had to be quite severe in our selections. It was 30 years of stellar work,” says Rock.
The exhibition starts with Origins that reflects the heritage of the brand. Art Deco paintings decorate the walls, and vintage bags and saffiano leather cases fill the glass display cases that are replicas of the ones found at Prada’s first boutique that opened in 1913 at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. Rock then guides us along the Prada-green carpets to visit the Typologies section that includes the six dioramas, which are themed according to Miuccia Prada’s obsessions: Modernism, Figuration, Continentalism, Excessivity, Animality and Femasculinity. “I think it’s through these ideas that she interrogates the world,” says Rock. “For example, what does it mean to be luxurious, what does it mean to decorate your body,
what does it mean to be the
woman who wears nice clothing.” It is fascinating to see Modernity from Miuccia Prada’s point of view, her approach to minimalist designs and attempt at simplifying and reduction.A pastel blue stole in silk faille, latex top and heavy linen trousers embroidered with acrylic elements from a 1991 collection looks as current as one from the 2011 collection.
Images depicting the brand’s advertising campaigns, its support of the art world and the growth of its stores fill the walls of the Evolution section.We then walk through the Specimens section where Miuccia’s obsessions are addressed once more. But instead of fossils and meteorites being the focus of this Specimens section, there are Prada shoes and handbags. The manner in which Miuccia Prada conveys her ideas are made more prevalent at the Construction zone where garments and accessories are put on display and viewers can admire the materials used.“I think that one of the most remarkable aspects of the work of Miuccia Prada is this constant experimentation with material and with craftsmanship,” says Rock. An example would be a classic lace pencil skirt dipped in latex rubber, something which is iconic to Miuccia Prada’s work of contrasting refined, traditional material against crude and industrial techniques. Runway images of models from Prada’s 26 years of ready-to-wear collections are shown not chronologically—as would be expected—but organised by colour.“So you get a spectrum, where you see that there is a colour sensibility which is consistent year after year.When you see it that way, you see that it’s not so much a consistency that is always of a silhouette or a hemline, but there is a consistency of spirit that you see in the work,” Rock explains.
A twist on what’s expected of fashion and movies, the Observation room—with its floor, walls and ceiling covered in Prada green velvet—screens a playlist of short films and video projects about the offer ings from the fashion house. There’s the 2005 film Thunder Perfect Mind by Jordan Scott and Ridley Scott starr ing Daria Werbowy, featur ing a voice-over narration of the poem The Thunder, Perfect Mind. There’s the delightful 2012 comedy short film, A Therapy, by Roman Polanski starr ing Ben Kingsley and Helena Boham Carter, and the light-hearted Prada Candy L’eau with Léa Seydoux, which was directed by Wes Anderson and Roman Coppola in 2013.
After seeing over 60 complete runway looks, dozens of shoes and bags, more than 500 images and videos from campaigns and films, one will have to agree with Rock’s perspective that the singular Prada vision is manifest in everything from fashion and accessories to art,architecture,film,and culture. “Pradasphere” continues to travel, so keep your eyes peeled for its next pop-up appearance. ■