The Italian luxury fashion house presented its Spring/Summer 2023 womenswear collection on Sep 22, with a more subdued take on Milan Fashion Week (contrast this with Diesel's high-key show a day before that came with a NSFW invitation in the form of a butt plug).
Held at the Fondazione Prada in Milan, co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons roped in Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn and architectural outfit AMO to illicit a sense of noir, through the pitch-black backdrop and brown runway constructed of torn paper. Fabric-covered windows and peepholes surrounded the venue, highlighting the theme of "Domestic Voyeurism".
The first six looks - featuring skin-tight pants and oversized blazers in greys - set the eerie, almost sinister theme of the show before leading into livelier accessories and apparel.
The thriller/subversive mood of the show was enhanced by the foreboding synth soundtrack by American producer-slash-composer Cliff Martinez and those eerie Exte- and The Grudge-worthy eye lash extensions courtesy of makeup guru Pat McGrath. Meanwhile, who could have missed the Mia Farrow in Rosemary's Baby reference, seen in the nightgowns and pixie cuts?
Muted colours like dark grey and nudes were consistent throughout the show, with some lightness and softness appearing only during the middle part of the lineup, with the addition of satin slip dresses and sheer skirts that reminisce Prada's panelled skirts from its Fall/Winter 2022 collection. But even these seemingly "happier" looks come with subversive touches in the form of ripped and torn hemlines.
What's with the austerity you wonder? “Life and humanity crafts the clothes – not superficial embellishment, but traces of living, leaving marks. This idea of clothes shaped by humanity excites us," noted Mrs Prada in a statement.
Ahead, a lowdown on the runway show.