Primal Instinct Meets Human Nature at Prada
Review of Prada Fall 2025 Men’s Fashion Show
By Angela Baidoo
THE COLLECTION
THE VIBE
Creative Instinct, Human Nature, Unconscious Gestures
If Primitive man were roaming the earth today would he choose to robe himself in Prada? Quite possibly, and it was in todays collection that Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons were pondering on the themes of human nature and basic instinct themselves, a confirmation of my prediction that this menswear season will focus on overarching trends of human emotion and existentialism.
The urge to be primitive manifested in raw-edged animal skins thrown haphazardly over the shoulders of wool coats or as vests, like a modern-day prize from a hunt, worn with pride. And as much as broad-shoulders and sharp shapes signify masculinity there is also something in the application of a fur hide that symbolises early man’s dominance in the wild – and now in todays world thanks to Prada. The off-script concept of the savage man was considered for this collection as in those early days of the evolution of man he acted on instinct, with Raf Simons reiterating backstage “Our main goal when we mention the role of savage and instinctive, it’s the process that is very instinctive and interesting for us right now. We want to work very instinctively and kind of savage, but in the sense that things can come together even if it seems like they are not supposed to be together”.
The male trope of the cowboy was also referenced, but think more Jon Voight in Midnight Cowboy (over John Wayne) and the unspoken romantic connection between his character and Dustin Hoffman’s, although backstage Simon’s was not forthcoming on whether any specific film had made the inspirational cut, saying “We didn’t want to have any specific references, but there are a lot of different films you can think about. It’s up to the audience to make those [links]” with Miuccia Prada confirming “The cinematic influence is from life”.
Amulets formed of metal anchors, four-leaf clovers, and basketballs! Were worn in the spirit of decoration, and though these symbols held no specific meaning according to todays show notes, they are still likely to be worn as a form of protection all the same, especially for any budding sports stars or those superstitiously inclined.
The structure of the set was also a study in contrasts, as Simons explained “The set was a reaction to what the set usually is, it’s always open with a specific kind of music and we wanted to reverse it, so it feels much more alive when you walk in and not so constructed in a [particular] way. The carpet is very Art Nouveau and the scaffolding is like a club or work in progress from the construction of architecture”. Upon entering the showspace the highly decorative carpet was set against an industrial scaffolding structure which housed those in attendance on various levels as the models walked through the maze-like set. The effect was both that of watching a theatre performance from the rafters or – as per the notes – “the closeness of a club”. Reflecting places in society where we still come together as part of the collective human experience. Todays show invitation – a piece of scaffolding pipe – also evoked the need to take a piece of todays show with us to internalise or even memorialise the experience.
THE DIRECTION
THE QUOTE
It’s an answer to what is happening [in society] we have to resist with our instinct, with our humanity, and our passion. The world is becoming so conservative and everybody asks us, as designers, to be revolutionaries but what is happening in the world is not a revolution. We also have to work to keep the good in our work and our lives, you have to do what you feel is right [human instinct]”
Miuccia Prada, Co-creative Director, Prada
THE WRAP UP
There is often a desire to make sense of each Prada collection, to decipher what references may have been pinned to the moodboard, but as is often the case and as explained by Simon’s it’s “an unconscious dialogue between ideas coming from everywhere”. In the hands of the less-skilled the mash-up of ideas can produce collections that sometimes lack coherence, but the attracting of opposites is what has kept this brand on top of luxury’s most-wanted lists. It’s a capturing of the cultural mood (the Old West, seeking out ways to protect ourselves through amulets or charms, and the desire to return to our basic human nature) and the funnelling of it through silhouettes that are a little skewed and “uncommon” that makes their designs feel at once creatively daring and also new. This was seen in the way a pair of humble striped pyjamas – typically worn inside the house – was styled in stark contrast with heavy outerwear and fur, as explained by Simons “It may read as savage, primitive, caveman, but our aim was for it to feel warm, human, and instinctive, but also beautifully domestic. Domestic and non-domestic together, there were pyjamas in there, while at the same time there is outerwear, so outdoor and indoor were very connected”, and in making that connection Prada welcomes the primitive man to the modern age.
