Prada Womenswear SS24 – Milan Fashion Week

The translucent slime that oozed from the ceilings onto the catwalk of the Fondazione Prada told everyone – including a front row ‘splash zone’ with the likes of Emma Watson, Scarlett Johansson and Kylie Jenner – that they were about to see something different.  Prada SS24 at Milan Fashion Week returned to celebrated uniform codes of the past and added new and inventive layers to the established design theory.

For Miuccia and her creative partner Raf Simons, the waist became a focus of their silhouettes for next summer.  Masculine tailoring ideals were oversized in proportion, with extended architectural shoulders and overlong sleeves drawing lines that disappeared into cinched waists for expansive ‘V’ shaping.  Other variations of these ideals came with suit jackets tucked into neat pleated trousers or belted, high-waisted tailored shorts.

On the flipside of that coin we had the entreaties to Prada’s more feminine fashion aesthetics.  Sleeveless, knee-length column dresses in pastel shades including green, blue and pink came wrapped in delicate sheer fabrics that danced with movement as the cast daintily click-clacked across the floor in simple flat mules.

Unpretentious knitwear like sweaters and cardigans shaved off a few sharp edges, while boxy men’s work jackets with leather collars and zipped, patchwork leather overcoats enveloped those edges in uneven lines and worn detailing.  The moments where gender was not so much blurred as it was merged proved to be the standouts.  Masculine shirts, plain or heavily fringed, were paired with ‘overskirts’ with exaggerated fringing in wool or metallic gold or silver.

Of course, what would Prada be without an eye for the utilitarian?  Patchwork leather dresses with stud pattern detailing and the same again in work waistcoats adorned with pockets galore gave us those functional undertones we all know and love from the House.  Even the grey and green headwear worn throughout resembled plain skullcaps to ‘standardise’ Muiccia’s uniform.

When all is said and done, iconic materials, reimagined contours and contemporary aesthetics have always defined why Muiccia and Raf are so celebrated as designers.  And so it proved for Prada SS24.

To read our review of the Prada AW23 show from MFW, click here

Click here for more information on Prada AW23