Prada’s Classics

Written by Dana Karlson
26.02.2010

There seems to be a trend sweeping through the four fashion capitals this month that’s less about colours and hemlines and more about a mood.  There has been a noticeable shift toward wearability.  Will women wear this?  How will this translate in day-to-day life?  And it’s about time.  We’ll admit to being blown away by outrageous concept collections and outlandish designs as much as the next blogger.  Sure, because fashion is fantasy–it’s good to just soak up the creative process behind a line.  But when it comes to clothes that will actually make it out of the wardrobe and into every day life, well, the pickings slim.  Like Marc Jacobs earlier this season in New York, Miuccia Prada has turned away from creating something new just for the sake of it.  Prada’s autumn offering looked back to the nineties, which suddenly feels oh-so-far away, reworking signature pieces for today’s fashion-faithful.

From the shoes up, Prada’s line was meticulously styled and painstakingly tailored.  Unlike many designers who give all their girls variations of the same footwear, Miuccia made sure each look was outfitted with heeled sandals or square-toe courts to match accordingly (Prada’s extensive shoe collection might add a slight advantage here).  For winter, it’s all about the coat that hits just above the knee.  Pronounced collars were cushioned, glossed or double-layered for impact, whilst large round buttons popped as one of our favourite details. Appropriately, all outerwear and dresses were accompanied by ribbed tights, some with frills sliding down the models’ shins.

As always, the presence of prints was definitely a strong point at Prada, coming in either amber and ochre or navy and grey.  The ruffled decolletage was a nice touch, adding a sweet femininity to the line.  Buttery leather coats and skirts looks luxurious, whilst we adored the nubby wool knitwear styled with super skinny belts at the waist.  And here’s the thing about super skinny: Prada employed Doutzen Kroes, Miranda Kerr and Lara Stone to help display her wares–all successful models who rarely find a place on the runway along size 0 frames.  That debate is for another time, another story, but it was noticeable and nice to see some curvier (albeit still thin) figures strolling down the runway, reminiscent of the days of Cindy and co.

Prada’s influence reaches across the spectrum of fashion, and let’s hope more designers take note this season, giving us a warmer, more adequate approach to autumn.