Raf Simons @Prada
Photo credits: Prada
This year, September has become the most awaited month within the Fashion calendar. Not only considering the wished re-start of its most glamour and followed activities, but also for an important change in the destiny of the brand Prada.
Confirmed back in April, Raf Simons has entered the pioneer Fashion house as a co-creator for the collections to come, starting with the Prada Spring-Summer 2021 runaway. The two iper-creative and visionary minds have finally grouped together, hopefully to initiate a new incredible chapter for the brand. Miuccia and Raf will let Prada establish a new level of authority and influence for the years to come.
The backgrounds of these two personalities are quite different: the history of Miuccia Prada belongs to a family of the Milanese bourgeoisie, specialized in the production of luxury leather goods. She refused the norms imposed by her social status and she reportedly sympathized with the Communist movement of the time. Her provocative inclination has been reflected in her creations, which are somehow controversial and against the rules. She invented a new concept of beauty, which did not necessarily relate to the classic feminine aesthetics: the ugly-chic.
Raf Simons, instead, has started developing his persona in Belgium, his home-country, by studying Furniture Design. There, he felt a calling for the Fashion universe. He moved to Paris and he revolutionized his career, taking the reins of some of the most notorious brands (Jil Sander, Dior and Calvin Klein) and founding his homonymous label. Raf is well-known for his utilitarian minimalism, unusual volumes and ingenious patterns.
On the other hand, the creators share many common traits. Both of them are considered as rebels, striving for a change of the traditional Fashion rules. Simons and Prada are projected into the future, they constantly push the boundaries of taste, by playing with lines and innovative materials. At the same time, they have a soft spot for the middle-20th century canons, visible in most of their collections. Moreover, the designers have a common passion for the Arts, which definitely influences their work. Miuccia speaks the language of contemporary art, while Raf is devoted to music, painting and photography.
It is an extraordinary combination, the one between Prada and Raf Simons. Will the genius designer succeed in interpreting the Italian brand’s DNA and in providing it with a revolutionary added value?
In September 2020 we will all receive our answer.
Photo credits: Peter White
