How To Channel The Spirit Of Prada SS18

How To Channel The Spirit Of Prada SS18

Prada spring/summer 2018 was « a white canvas filled with ideas », said the renowned designer.
Here, we examine how to channel them.

by OLIVIA SINGER

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There are few designers who can present diverse eclecticism with such seamless allure as Miuccia Prada, nor any who set the tone for the seasons to come just like she does. It is for these reasons that the Prada show is one of the most hotly anticipated of the season: she is fashion’s favourite genius, offering up collections that are simultaneously avant-garde in their conception, covetable on the shop floor, and revered by reviewers, customers, and fellow designers alike. “Basically it was a white canvas filled with ideas,” she said backstage after this mash-up collection of hits. Essentially, we all want to be a bit more Prada – and so, this season, here’s how.

Eclecticism is key
Over the past couple of years, there has been a new trend for eclecticism – not just on the runways, but in the real-life wardrobes of women themselves. Wearing full look is out: instead, constructing your daily outfit from an assortment of different designers, different genres, different eras, is the modern way to dress. “I was really interested in somebody who wants to be active and present nowadays – I don’t want to say how they should dress, but how they should be free to experiment,” said Mrs Prada backstage after the show. Here, studded sandals were teamed with satin bustiers layered over pinstripe shirting; pretty, puff-sleeved dresses worn over workwear trousers; Herringbone jackets given leopard-print lapels; even flared, Fifties skirts made the occasional appearance (in a thoroughly psychobilly fashion). It was diverse, to say the least – and thoroughly shoppable, although “I don’t want to be judged by sales,” she laughed. “My life is so much more important than sales.”

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Get on Spotify
While talking about the soundtrack to a collection can often be a handy way to sidestep discussion of the clothes, the music that accompanies Miuccia Prada’s runways are routinely as considered as the looks she sends out. This time, the likes of Lana del Rey, Nirvana, Nina Simone, Sinead O’Connor, Suzanne Vega, The Cure, PJ Harvey and L7 all made notable sonic appearances in a poetic cross-genre medley. “They are different people, and each one has their own voice,” she said. This was a soundtrack for a generation who curate Spotify playlists rather than put on records, and it was brilliant. “It was a little bit like the bootleg that you might get in a certain genre of movie,” said Frédéric Sanchez, the composer behind the music. “I think there is something in the soundtrack that shows all these different women, each who represent something so strong in a certain moment of time.” And it was their combined eclecticism that made this music feel so thoroughly contemporary, so authentically 2017.

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Be strong (particularly right now)
“I want women to be strong because still there is so much against us. So we need a lot of cleverness, intelligence, and strength… particularly now,” Mrs Prada continued – and these women were: they were punk, wearing mish-mash combinations of studs and animal print, sometimes the pieces themselves looking like two distinct personas spliced together. There was a confidence in such an approach that was distinctly Mrs Prada – remember that John Waters Miu Miu collection? – but it felt fresh and relevant, particularly when teamed with bare faces and gamine haircuts (how many models got a Guido chop specially for the occasion is yet to be noted, but it looks like plenty).

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Reference… yourself
Souped-up versions of pre-existing pointy shoes; the same, sportif sock that Prada debuted for Resort 2018; the nylon fabric that propelled this brand to the forefront of fashion: this was a collection that riffed on some former offerings – after all, if everyone else is doing it, why shouldn’t she? Those who have noted the trend for transparency that has swept the spring/summer 2018 shows might remember that it was the Prada Resort show that first introduced the filmy fabrications now appearing on every runway – because, where Mrs Prada goes, the rest are sure to follow. It won’t be until next season that we see the impact of this collection, but it’s sure to make a mark.