Review of Prada Fall 2023 Fashion Show
Finding Purpose Beyond Beauty
By Angela Baidoo
Not content with raising the bar on how to create a cohesive creative collective, but Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons are also raising the roof when it comes to redressing ideas and ideals around beauty.
Prior to the shows start the ceiling of the event space was raised to reveal that the top of the industrial columns were decorated with lilies. Herbaceous flowers that are known for their association with fresh life and rebirth. Two themes that were seen throughout the fall 2023 collection, which looked at how we wear, what we wear, with fresh eyes.
We take pieces from a special occasion, or created for one day like a wedding gown, and here it becomes everyday. Why should this celebration of love be for only a single day?
Raf Simons
In the opening looks, optic white skirts – in both column, mini and A-line midi lengths covered in floral embroidery – came paired with simple crew neck sweaters, as perhaps a dressier way to start the day. Not so for Prada and Simons, as according to the notes which accompanied the show and outlined the median messages to be found beyond the clothes, these ‘skirts’ provided the answer to every bride (and thrift store) questioning what to do with her wedding dress post-wedding. “Wedding dresses, become everyday attire, their skirts proposed with sweaters as a new form of quotidian dress” noted the duo. Viewed as symbols of love and holding significant meaning for the wearer – capturing a million memories of the day – it is not a stretch to see the logic in its re-wearing and repurposing as part of an everyday wardrobe.
Grounded in reality, but not a reality that has to be devoid of beautiful design, fall 2023 circles back to key silhouettes in the brands arsenal and pumps them up with loving care. Minimalist tone-on-tone florals, which appeared as if made from paper cut-outs, were clustered as 3D floral embroideries across skirts, in a display that spoke to how flowers are used as grand gestures of love and affection.
In a world forever changed by recent events, many have been struggling to find a new uniform for the way in which they want to navigate the world today. In this collection several variations on what that new hybrid uniform could be were represented by utilitarianism, masculinity, precision, and an enveloping of the body.
Seeking a ‘redress of purpose’ the slimmed-down suits from the menswear show were repurposed here, with the same sharp-collared cut-away shirt collars, attached to knitwear and an ultra-high-waist on cropped pants. A military take on the shirt dress saw it transform as a new iteration of an evening gown, complete with extended train. Describing it more succinctly the duo said, “Uniforms are sartorial representations of care and responsibility, transformed utilizing the aesthetic language of eveningwear”. Turning an aesthetic that was designed to reflect a sameness, mundanity even, being rethought for the occasion wear market is picking up on a narrative of how everyday clothing can speak to the consumer in a new way.
A playful mid-section brought back the puffy shapes that first made an appearance at the men’s show in January. Meant to represent ‘safekeeping’ and a “Protection of the body through clothing” as confirmed by the show notes. Mini and midi skirts, as well as cropped tops created a soft armour, that also reshaped the body with cushiony curves. And what appeared as simple shifts dresses or maxi duffle coats from the front, hid a soft hump-like construction at the back, blending both the familiar with the exceptional.
‘There is the notion in fashion that only glamour is important, I hate that, I have always fought against that. This collection is about finding beauty everywhere.
Miuccia Prada
Going back to the recent events that have changed everything, Miuccia Prada noted that a part of the shows collections was directly inspired by those that give care on a daily basis and were heralded as heroes during the pandemic “We looked at uniforms that represent care, like nurses, because the act of caring is a beautiful thing. We wanted to transform these uniforms of caring into uniforms of beauty”. Their white uniforms, again reworked here as occasion dresses as a way to celebrate their contribution.