MANIFESTO

#61

ART NOW

TAKING CARE

2023.02.24

The Prada Fall Winter 23 collection by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons reconceptualizes and reconsiders the idea of beauty by transforming uniforms according to the language of evening dresses, becoming representations of care and responsibility. 

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. 

PRADA FW23.

“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.”

– Miuccia Prada

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.

prada fw23

“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.”

– Raf Simons

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.

Prada FW23, Deposito of Fondazione Prada

MAISON ALAÏA

A STORY BEHIND THE CLOTHES

2023.03.27

WHERE FASHION AND CREATION MEET ART AND BEAUTY

 

Pieter Mulier for Alaïa returns to embody the Maison’s unique history in a personal and intimate artistic vision that is carried away by human emotions and connections.

fall winter 23

CHANEL

2023.03.08

THE CAMELLIA IS MORE THAN A THEME

 

The winter camellia flower runs through the Fall Winter 23 collection seeding little signs of joy and romance. Virginie Viard previews the collection with a short film and photo series inspired by the famous movie Who Are You, Polly Maggoo?”.

MIU MIU

WAYS OF LOOKING

2023.03.08

LOOKING IS A WINDOW TO THINKING 

 

Miuccia Prada for Miu Miu presents the co-ed Fall Winter 23 collection featuring familiar garments that encapsulate gestures and movements around the figure.

LOUIS VUITTON

WHAT IS FRENCH STYLE

2023.03.07

A REFINED AND PARADOXICAL ENIGMA

 

An open book that chronicles Nicholas Ghesquière’s Fall Winter 23 collection at Louis Vuitton and asks the characteristics of French style. A question that remains unanswered, an evolving fashion with infinite fascination.

collection

HERMÈS

2023.03.06

INCANDESCENCE AND SENSUALITY 

 

Hermès Fall Winter 23 collection brings the same features and colors of women’s different hair styles to the runways as a symbol of elegance and femininity. Like the manes, the lines of the garments follow the silhouette and take shape as they walk.