Mario Prada

Whenwanted to pass the business down, he had no intention of giving it to his daughter, but his son was not interested in taking on the family business, so Luisa Prada was Mario’s successor and ran it for 20 years. This is when Miuccia Prada came into the frame. Miuccia Prada always had an interest in fashion and had a unique sense of style. However, she didn’t pursue fashion or art, instead she earned her Ph.D. in political science and then wanted to become an actress so studied five years to become a mime. During her studies she joined the Italian Communist Party and took on the ideologies of second wave feminism. As a nonconformist, left wing student in the 70s she began to experiment with her style, and would often sport Yves Saint Laurent and Pierre Cardin. In 1970 she started working with her mother and in 1978 succeeded Luisa as head of Prada. Miuccia then Patrizio Bertelli who had his own leather goods firm. They went on to get married in 1987. Patrizio was the one who convinced Miuccia to move on from the existing business model and branch out.

Accessories

The first change to the brand started with the famous nylon bags. Using nylon in bags had never really been done before. The first line of these bags was released in 1979 and although not an instant success they later became Prada’s first triumph. Miuccia loved anything industrial and so nylon instantly sparked a connection with her. She would continue to experiment with the fabric and in 1985 the famous nylon tote bag was designed. The bag had a sleek black look but sported the metal triangle logo.

It was clear that Prada had mastered bags and it was now time for Miuccia to tackle clothes and other accessories. Firstly, a line of footwear was released shortly followed by Prada’s ready to wear collections. The 80s was known for its bold silhouettes and colour palette but Miuccias designs completely contradicted these. Even from the very first clothing designs Prada showed its aesthetic and stuck to it, proving that Miuccia was following her own style. Later Prada released Mui Mui, Prada Sport and the Prada eyewear collection.

Miu

Miu is Prada’s diffusion line and focused on a younger demographic that wanted to have fun with fashion. Whilst it was obvious that the two brands were connected, Miu Miu presented a more youthful and vibrant. The clothes were more wearable and accessible than Prada’s normal collections. Ones of their most popular items of clothing that they released was the micro mini skirt, when it first appeared on the Spring runway show. Miu Miu proved a success as it expanded Prada’s consumer base and has stood the test of time as the ultimate cool girl brand.