MFW SS19: Prada

PRADA’s runway is now a hallway. A school hallway – to be exact – for last night’s SS19 show unveiled a collection catered to youth. A running playful thread could perhaps have been predicted through the showspace setup – transparent, blow up chairs awaited attendants, making way for the optimistic clothing that soon followed. Babydoll dresses, satin short-suits, tie-die skirts – this was Miuccia’s outburst of innocence and eccentricity. And it was fun fashion to the max.

Satin was the initial statement. It formed pretty, bow-finished shirts of olive green, paired with chestnut, knee-length shorts. Schoolgirl chic? Certainly. Flamboyance flourished – look after look, popping colours arrived onto the ominous set, set against pencil skirts, cami tops and mini dresses. Essential pieces had taken a refreshing upgrade, and with immediate injections of pattern (yes to those daring, chainmail embossed bodysuits), pretty springwear was blossoming. But with Miuccia Prada’s acclaimed tailoring – there was a consistent educational awareness. Prepped to perfection.

Layering was a lesson to be learnt, too. Satin A-line dresses were styled over pastel, collared blouses – sealing a sixties sensibility for SS19. Yet with the exposure of knee-high stockings, pointed patent shoes, bright baker boy hats and berets (topping off every single model), there was an assured confidence that preppy clothing could so too be stylishly liberating. The seal of that fact? Affirmative leather coats, topping off silhouettes that were draped with elegance. Prints continued to pave the way towards the boldness that continues to maintain Prada’s enduring appeal. Tie-dies and landscapes were most effective, grabbing attention through their punching detail.

A collection of complication? Not in a negative, but Miuccia wasn’t aiming for too much complexity. Instead, as noted in her show notes, she was manoeuvring away from the challenging circumstances of the real world (said to be ruling the country through hashtags, in her eyes), and instead focusing on good clothing for girls. And in fairness, this collection could not be trended through a simple hashtag summary.

There was too much purity and too much varying sartorial content (for good reason, FYI). Isn’t an outpour of expression a strive designers should continue to make each season, anyhow? The answer is yes according to Prada. Across spectrums of alternative colours and cut, confidence reigned. All in all? Lesson learned.

by Faye Fearon