"Liberation always comes with risk-taking" - inside the Prada FW25 show in Milan
One of Milan Fashion Week's most anticipated shows was of course Prada FW25, whose collection entitled 'Raw Glamour' was a future-forward look at modern femininity. Designers Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons reprised some of the elements from their earlier Fall menswear show, but there were also a lot of new elements present. “We kind of want to push a bit harder and try different things,” Simons said. “Liberation always comes with risk-taking.”
For all our show notes, read on...
The show was held in Allianz MiCo – the largest convention centre in Europe – in a setting that straddled both industrial (models walked down a runway flanked by exposed metal scaffolding) and warmth (the runway itself was a blue and white decorative carpet).
Many friends of the House turned up for the occasion – from TikTok stars like Nara Smith to Charli D'Amelio – to actress and ambassador Hunter Schafer, singer Charlotte Lawrence, members of JPop boy band &TEAM, KPop star MEOVV and actor Woo Seok Byeon. Gal Gadot, Simone Ashley and Maya Hawke were also all in attendance.
As is typical for the House, the Prada FW25 styling could be seen as a little polarising; Simons and Prada often leaning away from 'trends' and instead leaning into tropes that might be considered a little more acerbic. Frazzled hair, lots of layering and slouchy silhouettes all felt integral to the season's styling – opening the show with a series of black shift-style dresses with raw hems and taut collars. Outerwear took the form of draped knits and plenty of oversized coats adorned – or made entirely – of faux fur (the House hasn't used real fur in its designs since SS20).
Accessories by contrast felt sharp, structured and tailored – and nice juxtaposition to the softness of the garments. Long-handled bags were toted down the runway, feet snugly inside leather loafers, point-toe pumps or chic leather slides.