IT’S ALIVE! Prada brings Mary Shelley’s famous Frankenstein into the 21st century as this misunderstood monster inspires its AW19 MFW Men’s collection.
The industrial grand hall of the Deposito, part of Fondazione Prada complex, has been transformed into an arena of light and shadows. The audience line the outer edges of the space as a raised, rectangular runway platform takes centre stage. Light bulbs methodically line its perimeter like shining bolts anchoring it to the floor. The space is both experimental and beautiful all at once.
When the collection itself appears, it follows suit. Black is the colour that dominates, highlighted by bursts of vivid coloured garments or accessories, such as neon pink boots and bold red feathered headpieces and pale blue glasses that are reminiscent of scientific goggles — perhaps a colour we can expect to see more of in the women’s AW19 collection.
Almost every look features multiple belts wrapped around the models waist, as if holding them together. The experimental qualities are revealed in the styling of each look, as tailored trousers are toughened up with heavy-soled laced brogues and paired with matching smart buttoned jackets or cartoon-covered shirts with knitwear sleeve features.
Garments are embellished with references to Shelley’s famous monster — electric purple lighting bolts, cartoon artwork of Frankenstein’s face and melancholic roses. But why the roses, you may ask? Miuccia Prada explained backstage before the show — “There’s this idea of love, of this pitiful person looking for it, and of the human impulse to be understood, and not to feel isolated or betrayed”. The roses represent a search for love in the face of monstrous adversity and a society that acts monstrously.
This gentle social commentary contextualises and grounds the somewhat playful theme of the collection with a nod to human sensitivity and fear. A red felt heart is attached to the left chest of a lighting bold jumper with an oversized safety pin, almost perfectly explaining Prada’s inspiration for this show: a search for genuine love and sensitivity amongst the absurdity of life in todays society. Underneath all the neon and cartoon prints — and the sound of Rocky Horror’s Time Warp — Prada has created a collection of beautifully tailored and elegant pieces that aren’t afraid to experiment.
by Lucy May McCracken