Prada with the FW23 collection is looking for beauty everywhere and in any form: Miuccia Prada before the start of the fashion show explains how she and Raf Simons chose to be inspired by uniforms that represent the beauty of caring, love and reality. Thus, it is not aesthetics that determine beauty, but actions: clothing takes on a new meaning and becomes an expression of these values that are fundamental today. The elevation of the uniform’s imagery places Prada’s collection in a much broader context where the garments carry a powerful message: the collection wants to celebrate the people who wear uniforms every day, exalting their gestures and their lives. White is presented as the protagonist, already anticipated with the invitation to the show: a box completely white, aseptic, with inside a flower-shaped brooch in white cotton cloth and a book with the cover of the same color entitled Recycling Beauty, the same name of the exhibition at Fondazione Prada spaces that reveals the power of beauty reused in different periods and for different purposes. The white skirt that opens the show appears to the audience’s eyes like a poem: an explosion of flowers and organza embroidery covers the pencil skirt, paired with a minimal gray sweater and pointed ballet flats.
“Mainly what I care about now is to give importance to what is modest, to value modest jobs, simple jobs, and not only extreme beauty or glamour.”
The first look anticipates the clean lines and severe but enveloping shapes of the entire collection. Wedding dresses, the quintessential symbol of love, become everyday garments: voluminous skirts full of tone-on-tone applications combined with oversized suede jackets show as an ultra-feminine and extremely elegant garment can be part of our everyday life by wearing it with character and simplicity. The collection is an evolution of the Men’s Fall Winter 23: tight, slender pants and 70s collars with highly elongated points return to the runway, which also in the case of Women’s are worn under square unbotton jackets, allowing a glimpse of the body with a hint of innate sensuality. Pastel colors return in the form of midi dresses that follow the shape of the silhouette, while white fabric reminiscent of a soft pillow is used in the creation of a new mini skirt. The protection of the body through clothing suggests a tender thoughtfulness, like a case: enveloping volumes reshape classic tailored outerwear taken once again from the men’s wardrobe, with padding that both shelters and warms. The fiery red hammered leather suit stands out during the show, proposing the face of the Italian Maison with the strongest and most aggressive character, while the total white chemisier dresses with a small train seem to be the perfect representation of the essence of the whole défilé. Pointed ballet flats echo the flowers applied on the skirts, used as a symbol of affection and an evocation of fashion craftsmanship. The bags are offered in soft pastel colors, contrasting with the square lines that resembles that of tough geometric shape.
“In the collection we also find the opposite garments reserved or created for a special occasion, such as wedding dresses, that become everyday garments. After all, why should one celebrate love for only one day.”
The concept of transformation also extends through the location set-up, the Deposito of Fondazione Prada, where a movable ceiling, echoing that of the Men’s show in January, redesigns the rooms, enlarging them and revealing floral decorations previously hidden by a low, industrial coverage, causing the audience to reconsider the space and the figures moving within it from a new point of view. Accompanying the subversion of space the initial techno music is interrupted and replaced with Strauss Waltz’s famous symphony “The Blue Danube” as the audience is captivated by the much beauty of garments that bring a sense of purity and elegance to the runway. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons proved once again that they are the masters of creating a clean and sophisticated wardrobe loaded with messages of strong meaning, emphasizing the importance of care and the celebration of uniforms that are fundamental to our daily lives.
