We live in the era of hyperinformation, immersed in a constant flow of content.
Our consumption of the infinite resources available online is guided by algorithms,
finite sequences of instructions that confine the scope of what is decidable within the boundaries of logic,
in an essentially illogical world. But while this interpretation implies the existence of an architecture of knowledge,
it is unpredictability, the refusal of imitation and expectations,
that defines the human being: this collection seeks to open a dialogue,
to bring these two perspectives into confrontation.
The show opens in the industrial and minimalist spaces of the Fondazione Prada warehouse with a floral minidress, whose strap deliberately, almost rigidly, slides off the model’s skin. The femininity of this look sharply contrasts with the grunge aesthetic of the next: a gray dress adorned with welded metal rings, with an almost medieval appeal. Metallic-textured skirts, tops decorated with floral appliqués, satin dresses, and sheer ones layered over pants mix with mask-like hats and cut-out skirts; details recalling BDSM and cowboy aesthetics are added, like skirts suspended from harnesses or finished with long white leather fringes. And yet, everything is based on a solid foundation of sportswear, which we might call sober, were it not for the integrated wires distorting collars and hems, and the trompe-l’oeil belts embedded into the pants, a few centimeters below the waist: vivid tones of yellow, orange, apple green, and pepto pink become the signature of the collection itself. The skirts feature circular cut-outs; the dresses are adorned with metallic rings in a Space Age style. There is no single thread running through the collection, no outfit resembles the next, and that is exactly the point: to disorient the audience, reflect the present, and offer a vision of how culture and fashion might evolve. This sequence of simultaneous realities is a tribute to individuality, where each look becomes a unique reflection of its own time. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons celebrate plurality, bringing together elements from different eras, challenging any chronological logic and creating impossible contradictions and divergences: the idea of the superhero and superheroine becomes a symbol of the centrality of the individual, of their will and the transformative power of creativity. The stranger, the better. Everything changes. From infinite choices come infinite opportunities.
“It was a different approach; instead of having three or four themes for the season, we tried to do everything our own way”.
Prada and Simons bring back a myriad of styles from the Maison’s archives, ensuring that rarely the same pair of shoes walks the runway twice in a row. The key pieces aim to break down the rules of chronology; the glasses – imposing, mask-like, alien – in some ways evoke the Men’s SS25 collection. Extra-large lenses, almost coffin-shaped, envelop the entire faces of the models, giving them a futuristic aura, akin to alien creatures; the headpieces, equally visionary, range from visor-style hats, perforated with circular openings that allow glimpses of the outside, to models resembling helmets with distorted shapes and irregular eye cavities. The footwear reinterprets the origami-style heels seen on the Fall/Winter 2024 runway, unfolding them and directing the tips towards the models’ ankles. Immediately following are deep red touches on laced sneakers. The iconic platform brogue espadrilles from Spring 2011 make a triumphant return to the runway. However, they are not the only ones to evoke a déjà vu: Prada resurrects other archival masterpieces, such as the leather sandals with criss-crossed details from Spring 1996, the striped, architecturally sharp heels from Fall 2008, and the Mary Janes from Fall 2012, complete with rubber toecaps. A warning against the uncritical adherence to the dictates of the zeitgeist, an invitation to break the mold and subvert the norms that, from this very system, we have learned not to disregard. Once again, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons demonstrate their ability to abandon everything, start from scratch, revolutionize, and upend expectations. It almost felt as if they wanted to warn us: don’t get complacent, for unpredictability is the only certainty in what we will present in the future. Here, every possibility becomes an expression of free will: Prada’s explorations reveal a multifaceted, multi-dimensional present, a true celebration of humanity.
