“It gave the cast a real identity and style,” says Palau of the array of blunt cuts he gave the male models as the ’90s inched toward the noughties. “It was also about bringing a Raf synthesis to Prada and respecting Miuccia’s vision of women-that was all a part of the conversation.” One reference point was Isolated Heroes, a photography book of David Sims’s pictures of street-cast models for Simons’s spring 2000 show. “Both Raf and Miuccia wanted it to feel like a real style statement but make it feel modern and young,” said Guido Palau of conceptualizing the hair looks with the duo. While showcasing individuality was key for the cast, which included 18 models making their runway debut, there was a throughline of effortlessly cool beauty with an androgynous edge.
The spring 2021 collection explored the concept of uniform dressing, rethinking the Italian fashion house’s signatures-wrap coats, minimalist suiting, and the classic triangle logo plates-through an industrial lens. This afternoon in Milan, Prada ushered in a new chapter, one that saw Raf Simons make his debut as the new creative director alongside co–creative director Miuccia Prada.
