Everyone knows the Prada fashion empire, and Miuccia Prada’s contribution to the development of fashion is recognised by numerous prizes and awards. Almost every Miuccia Prada Bianchi collection is a successful attempt to push the boundaries of fashion, break the mould and make the ugly attractive.

According to Lyst and The Impression, Miu Miu, a subsidiary brand of Prada, has won the title of Brand of the Year 2023.

The Miu Miu spring-summer 2024 fashion show was a more than successful attempt to redefine beauty and its reflection in everyday life, through fashion of course. In 2023, Miu Miu managed to launch and offer a maximum of not only popular but viral products to the public. Skilful marketing campaigns in collaboration with it-girls Kendall Jenner, Gigi Hadid and Ethel Caine became the best in the history of 21st century fashion. Numerous titles and, above all, the popularity and demand for the brand were a fitting birthday present for Miu Miu, which happens to be 30 years old in 2024.

What do we know about Miuccia, who transformed an ordinary industrial company into a brand with a global reputation?

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7 Facts from the biography of Miuccia Prada

1. Date of birth: 10 May 1949;
2. Prada’s total sales reached 3.34 billion euros, supported by a 17 per cent increase in retail sales in 2023;
3. Miuccia Prada owns the brands Prada, Miu Miu, Jil Sander, Helmut Lang and Church’s shoes.
4. Miuccia Prada is the recipient of the Order of the Grand Cross of Merit of the Italian Republic;
5. Recipient of the American Academy in Rome for her invaluable contribution to fashion and art (2010);
6. Influence on cinema: Prada sewed the costumes for the film The Great Gatsby;
7. It is said that Prada dresses are worn by the devil

According to The Daily Telegraph (via Wiki), The 2006 feature film The Devil Wears Prada (based on the 2003 book of the same name written by Lauren Weisberger) earned Meryl Streep an Oscar nomination for her role. Her shoe wardrobe for the film was said to be “at least 40% Prada” by the costume designer Patricia Field.^[69] Anna Wintour, editor-in-chief of American Vogue and the supposed inspiration for Meryl Streep’s character, wore Prada to the film’s premiere.

That is how Señora Prada looked like when she was young:

Maria Prada Bianchi was born in Milan. When she was nine years old, her grandfather Maria Prada, who had been a famous businessman, a founder of the family business that made travelling bags and suitcases from walrus skin, died.

But why did he use walrus skin? – you might wonder. The reason was as banal as a shopping list – things made of walrus skin attracted rich customers who were into everything new and exotic. The customers “fell for it”,  and Miuccia’s enterprising grandfather quickly became rich and opened a clothing and shoe shop.

In her childhood and youth Miu Miu (hence the name of another of Miuccia Prada’s brands – Miu Miu) experimented with her looks. She dressed in a variety of styles – ethnic, futuristic, baroque…. It was as if mirrors didn’t exist for her at all: the last thing Miuccia thought about was whether a particular piece suited her. All she wanted to do with clothes was to put herself in an image that matched her state of mind.

Young Miuccia Prada did everything that went against the conventions of her environment: she studied political science and philosophy at the University of Milan and obtained a doctorate in these disciplines, learnt the art of pantomime, joined the Communist Party and fought for the rights of women, whom she did not regard as the weaker sex. Her family’s business and everything to do with fashion seemed to her to be an incredible folly and the worst thing she could waste her time and life on.

Photos – Instagram

But in 1978 Miucci Prada’s pragmatism won out over her feelings and she took over the family business on the advice of her mother. Without any desire or belief in success, but nevertheless.

In the same year, 1978, Miuccia had a fateful encounter with the Tuscan industrialist Patrizio Bertelli. Incidentally, his company also produced leather bags. Would they have met if Miuccia had ignored her mother’s suggestion and not started producing bags, clothes and shoes? Theoretically anything is possible, but practically….. All in all, it seems the intellectual Miuccia made the right decision.

In 1983, they designed a line of women’s shoes together, and in 1985 Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada created the famous classic Prada nylon handbag. The fashionistas loved the minimalist design combined with the impeccable workmanship, and perhaps this rucksack can be seen as the starting point of their fashion career.

In 1987, Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli became not only business and creative partners, but also life partners and made their relationship official. In an interview, she admitted that it is unlikely that her brands would have become so successful without the help of her husband.

Miuccia Prada’s works characterise her as an intelligent and ironic person. She claims that she likes to dress simply and that she only feels light and relaxed in understated clothing. However, this has not prevented her from being included in the list of the fifty most beautifully dressed public figures over 50, compiled in 2013 by the influential British newspaper The Guardian.

Miuccia Prada’s collections for clothing, shoes and accessories

Miuccia Prada’s collections challenge traditional notions of fashion and beauty. Sometimes large necklines and bold colours have nothing to do with femininity – out of Prada’s desire to empower women. In the same collection, however, there are also calm tones and strict lines – it is important to Miuccia to emphasise the magic that nature has bestowed on women. Miuccia Prada Bianchi believes that clothing can only make a woman sexier if it complements and inspires her, and that it is nothing more than a particular set of lines and textures.

Prada’s clothing stands out with colours on fur and strict geometric silhouettes that combine the seemingly incompatible colours and prints. She keeps saying that “expressing an idea and communicating it in an artistic way is the job of art. My job is to sell.”

Miuccia Prada’s collections are a mix of different styles and colour combinations, feminine and practical, bright and elegant. Elements of masculine style, such as brimmed hats and Hawaiian prints, are contrasted with fitted dresses and pencil skirts, which are a constant attribute of femininity.

Prada collections

Vogue.com has collected all of Prada’s major ready-to-wear collections since 1992. We have selected just some of the cover images, i.e. those that the designer has recommended for preview.

In the beginning, the Prada brand only released one collection per year.

Miu Miu

Originally positioned as Prada’s “anti-fashion” line rich in accessories when it launched in 1993, Miu Miu has gradually been aggressively positioned as a brand in its own right. Miuccia Prada, whose nickname is Miu Miu, has been called a “master of the not-quite-right look” by The New York Times, and her two lines are aimed at women who aren’t afraid to be a little different. Miu Miu is slightly younger than Prada and is aimed at 20-somethings who can afford to go to work in cherry red patent leather platforms and carved wooden soles, for example.

Miu Miu‘s collections are almost constantly on the lips of fashionistas around the world. However, like any creative person, Miuccia has had her ups and downs. Throughout the brand’s existence, 4 of her collections have been the most successful and memorable. These are the spring-summer 2007 collection, the autumn-winter 2009 collection and the autumn 2023 collection. The culottes have been a hit with the public, and the demand for them has increased in Europe and America quite significantly. You will soon be able to find out more about this collection and the successful spring-summer collection on Edemweiss.ch/en.

By the way, would you wear such culottes and why? Write in the comments, I am so eager to know!