At Prada this season, extra was met not with extra, however with which means.
For Fall/Winter 2026 in Milan, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons staged an experiment: 60 appears, worn by simply 15 fashions. The identical fashions returned to the runway repeatedly, every time reconfigured. A coat shrugged off to change into a costume. A sheer slip revealed beneath a extreme jacket. A knit layered, unlayered, then layered once more. What emerged wasn’t simply the procession of outfits we count on from a group presentation, however a examine in accumulation. In a time of rampant consumption and fleeting traits, Prada confirmed us how one wardrobe may construct, mutate and adapt round a life.
“As a girl, your life is layered—every day calls for not solely a shifting of garments, however a richness of identities inside your self,” Prada wrote within the present notes, describing a need to mirror “the complexity of life, and that inherent complexity of girls”. In apply, that meant garments with out hierarchy. “Throughout the composition of those outfits, there may be zero hierarchy, both inside how items are layered, or what they basically are,” Simons added.
The consequence was disarmingly actual. Masculine overcoats playfully juxtaposed with translucent skirts; sturdy cotton shifts brushed towards silk attire; sportswear interrupted sharp tailoring. Proportions felt gently askew, with sleeves elongated, hems hovering at ambiguous lengths, and asymmetrical slashes in attire, as if clothes had been lived in and liked.
In a second outlined by relentless development cycles and algorithmic dressing, the gesture felt potent. Moderately than proposing a single, must-have silhouette, Prada steered a technique: rework what you personal, rethink what you already know, resist the tyranny of the brand new. It was a delicate critique of overconsumption, however didn’t criticise for the sake of it. As a substitute, it provided a practical means ahead, bringing again the ‘modifying’ components of favor we appear to be endlessly chasing down all of the unsuitable algorithmic avenues. Significantly for a model with nice industrial success, which regularly units the blueprint for fast-fashion mimicry (an trade on observe to achieve $291.1 billion by 2032), this season’s sentiment rests on noble conviction.
Equipment adopted swimsuit: kitten heels worn with floral socks, leopard scarves tucked beneath embellished coats. Nothing clamoured for dominance; all the things conversed.
Sixty appears. Fifteen ladies. Infinite permutations. At Prada, the way forward for style might not lie in additional garments, however in additional methods to put on them.
