If there’s one thing to expect from a Prada show, it’s the unexpected. The fashion schedule’s most forward-thinking intellectual, her offering never slots neatly into a predetermined trend, or slips nicely into a definable look. Although one thing is for sure – whatever she conjures up, it’s sure to set the standard for the season.
For SS15 the designer challenged the gender divide once again to showcase a capsule of womenswear alongside her menswear offering. The girls, while decidedly more peacock-y than the boys, worked to complement the menswear offering without stealing focus.
For the boys, the palette was bold and the silhouettes were cocooning. 1980s track tops sat alongside razor-sharp tailoring and seriously short shorts. The intarsia-knit symbols emblazoned onto knitwear- bunnies, racecars and rockets – were, according to the designer, symbols for symbols sake, but they served their purpose to lighten the mood.
Those signature Prada quirks came through the layers of socks – two pairs, under a low-top trainer – and the stark white topstitching that further highlighted the label’s focus on traditional (read: impeccable) construction.
A final thought – is Miuccia’s refusal to stay within the lines of the fashion schedule’s gender boundaries a sign that the boy/girl divide is on the way out? As with many a Miuccia musing – the industry is sure to be taking notes.
by Roberta Lister