Mood board: The look for S/S 2019 was coy and cool – embracing perhaps a new found sensuality for the Prada man, Miuccia Prada backstage spoke about ‘sexiness’ when referring to the collection. Here, the look was wonderfully recognisable and safe in parts with its sugary polos, brown tailoring and creamy dark suede coats. Die-hard Pradaheads won’t be disappointed with the lean silhouette or the knitted trainers and leather box handbags. Elsewhere the focus on a young, new masculine grace came through in the looks that were bashfully bold: patterned, knitted jumpers were worn over psychedelic 60s floral print polo necks. Lean, pressed pants had matching belts; short shorts were shown extensively but in modest ways.
Scene setting: The staging of Prada’s shows is a highlight of the fashion calendar; for S/S 2019 AMO returned to a more minimalist, translucent staging, which kept the focus on the clothes. The space was set up with neat rows of Danish designer Verner Panton’s influential ‘Inflatable Stool’ designed in the early 1960s. Constructed using a transparent film which is blown up into a cubic shape, it was one of the first ever pieces of furniture made from inflatable material. The stools appealed to Panton because of their lightness and transparency, which made people look as if they were sitting on air. The piece was never put into production because at the time Panton was unable to perfect the method of welding, and so AMO and Prada recommissioned it for the show.
Best in show: Last season the brand unveiled the ‘Prada Invites’ initiative which saw Ronan & Erwan Bouroullec, Konstantin Grcic, Herzog & de Meuron and Rem Koolhaas designing accessories in the label’s iconic black nylon. The collectable items from A/W 2018 are the nylon bucket hats, sported by each of the models. For this show, Prada magnified the headwear to maximum effect – put your name down now for one of the giant padded nylon trapper-hats. They’re going to go fast.
