About Me
PRADA is an Italian fashion house founded in 1913 by Mario Prada. The Prada label begun with selling shoes, leather handbags, and trunks. Mario Prada opened two boutiques in Milan after experience in Europe and U.S.A. The classic PRADA suitcase was made of heavy walrus skin but as plane travel made heavy suitcases impractical, the company started to make lighter bags and high quality items made of crystals, tortoise shell and wood. They also sold garments of waterproof fabrics to the U.S. In 1950, Miuccia Prada was born. By her mid-20's she had a doctorate in political science. In 1970 she started making backpack bags out of waterproof fabric called Pocone. In 1979 after completing a PhD in Political Science, Miuccia took over the Prada family business. Miuccia Prada is eager to refute the widely held view that her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, is the money man to her creative soul. She describes him as being "interested in objects." Bertelli, who came from a family of lawyers and met his wife when he supplied leather goods to Prada, is also involved in design and makes crucial calls about the details or tone of a collection. In 1985, Miuccia launched a line of footwear for women and her first pret-a-porter clothing line, using high quality fabrics. Her clean lines gave her fame, and she came to be known for under-stated elegant garments. In 1992, the Miu Miu clothing line branched out from the Prada fashion house. Miu Miu is Miuccia Prada's nickname given to her by her grandfather Mario Prada. The Miu Miu line is well-known for its clean and stylish designs, as well as the use of fine materials. The less expensive bridge line Miu Miu is inspired by Miuccia's personal taste in wardrobe of earthier garments in natural fabrics and colors with clean and stylish designs of fine materials and exquisite craftsmanship. Miuccia Prada’s offshoot label Miu Miu stays true to the house's style, but with a younger, funkier twist.In 1993, Miu Miu received an International award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Together Miuccia and her husband set up PradaMilanoArte in 1993, which grew into Fondazione Prada, showcasing artists such as Anish Kapoor, Louise Bourgeois, Marc Quinn, and Tom Sachs. The foundation is also involved in restoring historic Italian films; it collaborates with the Tribeca Film Festival; and sponsors an intellectual program on current aesthetics through the philosophy department of Milan's San Raffaele University. In 1995, Miuccia won "Designer of the Year" award. In 1998, Prada opened their first menswear shop in Los Angeles, USA. They also opened new Prada stores in Manhattan and Las Vegas, as well as Miu Miu's first North American boutique, in Los Angeles. Prada is now a worldwide empire, with stores in practically every country in the western world. It is a million dollar concern, with every celebrity wearing Prada clothes. Miuccia Prada uses a lot of crunchy polyester, parachute nylon and other synthetic fabrics. Prada started incorporating nylon back in 1979 when sales were down and she took over the helm. She expanded into luxury tote bags and backpacks in black with flat classic lines, made from nylon. Miu Miu favors the colors battleship green as well as browns, white, cream, and black. Prada's early fashion statement was deemed "ugly aesthetic" with skewed proportions and awkward combinations of "off- colors" such as lime green with kidney brown. Simple destructured shapes, knee length skirts, and skinny belts had become the currency of Prada's success in the mid 90's. Miu Miu gives traditional garments a modern handling, like trimming nylon parkas with mink and making trench coats and twin sets out of silk faille.Every season Miuccia is intrigued by something that was really at the edge to keep abreast of "fast fashion" where the work you do has to define your moment and your period. It seems that the whole world craves Prada's ice-cool minimalism and deadpan eroticism since Prada operates over 250 stores in 65 countries featuring Old-world Italian luxury wrapped in forward-thinking design.
