Prada's Milan 'superheroes' are nod to brand's eclectic past

Milan – Prada presented an eclectic "superhero" collection for Milan Fashion Week Thursday, heavy on S&M steel rings and mirrored metallics, with ribbed leggings and bodysuits imparting a cozy, grungy touch.

The Spring/Summer 2025 women's catwalk show from the artistic director team Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons came as Prada enjoys outlier status in the luxury industry, having posted strong growth in the first half of the year even as its rivals see their sales slump.

The Italian brand's collection, presented Thursday, was an eclectic fashion romp down memory lane, teasing 1990s grunge looks with sadomasochism paraphernalia, a rainbow of colored leggings, and even a nod to the space-age mirrored looks of 1960s French designer André Courrèges.

"There is a plurality of Prada, elements from different eras coexisting simultaneously to challenge any theory of chronology, creating impossible contradictions, points of difference," said the brand in its show notes, citing "the notion of the superhero" as "the centrality of the individual."

Backstage, the designers broke it down, explaining they wanted to explore all of Prada's past references, mixing up "the past, the present, the cool, the sexy, the serious..."

There were leather belts with thick steel rings that held up, garter-style, low-slung pleated skirts—paired with barely-there bandeau tops—while the same steel hardware adorned a black shift dress, clinking as the model sauntered down the runway.

An oversized black sweater dress was adorned with long beige fringe at the knee and bold stripes at the chest, while a black transparent dress with exaggerated ruffled sleeves covered a green bodysuit worn with witchy black pumps.

Among its most daring looks was a lightweight black dress covered in feathers jutting out from the body, paired with a neon orange anorak. But Prada showcased its refined side as well with a stunning buttercup coat dress with a shawl collar and three-quarter sleeves worn over an electric violet ribbed bodysuit, or a 60s-inspired simple black dress with ivory bands at the waist and short sleeves.

The 60s again made a bold appearance with bright metallic dresses in fabric encrusted with mirrors. Falling halfway down the shin, one space-age look was paired with a canary yellow windbreaker and an oversized straw visor—with no top—encircling the head.

Deconstruction

Prada continues to be a cult brand, and one of the most sought-after in the industry, ranking third in the "hottest brands" index of Lyst, the fashion search engine, directly behind its Miu Miu brand and Loewe in first place.

In July, Prada reported 17 percent revenue growth in its first half of the year on a constant currency basis. Growth of 93 percent at Miu Miu gave a boost to a six percent rise in sales from Prada—making the company an outlier among its luxury fashion rivals who are battling falling sales.

"Prada's strength is to have always remained faithful to its DNA, provoking a real cult while remaining discreet," said Antonio Bandini Conti, a designer and coordinator of haute couture at Milan's European Institute of Design.

Miuccia Prada, who has been the brand's creative director since 1978, was interested in "the wardrobe of the bourgeois woman... she began to deconstruct it, to destructure it," he said.

She introduced elements that jar or look like a mistake, whether a visible seam or torn collar, "all while maintaining divine proportions and a refined taste," he added.

"By staying the course, it has built a distinctive identity and a loyal customer base," said Conti.

The CEO of Prada, Andrea Guerra, told investors in July that the difficult macroeconomic context, in which low customer confidence, inflation, and an economic slowdown in China have cut into sales, "requires us to be agile and precise in our product range, our communication, and our global positioning." (AFP)