The Judges Awards

09.4 Prada
by Miuccia Prada, A/W 09

If there is one designer who has the ability to capture the zeitgeist, it is Miuccia Prada. In her pursuit of tearing down male stereotypes – buttons on the back of dress shirts, halter-tops on the front of fleshcolour knits – she has created clothes that men didn't know they liked, let alone needed. But for autumn/winter, the Italian intellectualist abandoned her proclivity to go against the tide and, instead, threw down the gauntlet on a new masculinity. She said backstage, in Prada speak, that ‘a neo-conservatism seemed new'. That translated into impeccable doublebreasted grey suits and coats with peak lapels and over-slim trousers with wide cuffs. Double-breasted suits made a return, as did Prada's mainstay from the 1990s – nylon – shown this time in pullovers. Slowly, an ever-harder edge emerged: first, came an austere laser-cut leather cloak, next, a shoe covered with studs. Then, like anarchy in bloom, the hardware migrated upwards. Trousers, shirts and jackets were carpeted in the silvery armour. The message was clear: toughen up, but stay chic.

Creative director: Miuccia Prada
Joined brand: 1978
Based: Milan
Key features: Studded shirts, jackets, trousers and shoes; double-breasted suits; long, collarless overcoats; leather-trimmed trousers and tops

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www.prada.com

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