Italian fashion and accessory designer for the Prada and Miu Miu labels. Prada is considered one of the most influential tastemakers in the world, as well as one of the most powerful businesswomen in Europe. Her ability to create clothes that distill the essence of vintage styles, while at the same time being thoroughly modern, has earned her the reputation as one of fashion’s undisputed trendsetters. Often referred to as ‘the thinking woman’s designer’, Prada has long rejected the traditional ideals of beauty and—through her clothes—has built an empire based on what the New York Times referred to as ‘intellectualized dressing that became chic by being anti-chic’.
Prada’s paternal grandfather Mario Prada founded Fratelli Prada, a leather-goods company, opening his first shop in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan in 1913. The company, which specialized in oggetti di lusso, or luxury objects, became known for an expensive leather travel case fitted with crystal vessels. Before long, the name Prada had become synonymous with luxury and, within five years of opening his shop, Mario Prada was appointed by the Italian royal family to make valises, trunks and cases from leather, walrus, alligator and other exotic materials. As a tribute to the family’s legacy of luxury craftsmanship, the first shop is now the flagship Prada store—where such vintage items as ivory-handled walking sticks, tortoiseshell brushes and beauty cases made from elephant skins are proudly displayed as reminders of the company’s illustrious past.
Prada has always been fascinated by clothes and, like most teenagers, began experimenting with her personal style as a means of rebellion against her staid, upper-middle class upbringing. She dreamed of a wardrobe full of colour—pink shoes, red dresses and exciting underwear—and as a result started to dress in an eccentric manner, combining Yves Saint Laurent, Cardo and English clothes in unexpected and sometimes bizarre ways. Despite her love of attention-grabbing colour and haphazard clothing combinations, Prada was also intrigued by the idea of the uniform, for its austere dignity and ability to conceal a person’s true identity and feelings—something she found attractive. This fascination would prove to be a source of inspiration for many of her collections.
Prada enrolled at the University of Milan, where she later received her PhD in political science, and was inspired to become politically involved. She joined the Italian Communist Party which, during the 1960s, was practically a rite of passage for young Italians. Prada’s involvement in the movement did not dim her love of fashion: at protests she wore high heels and vintage dresses, a far cry from the jeans and T-shirts of the other revolutionaries. It was not long before the feminist movement began to gain momentum and Prada, who quickly became fixated on feminist ideals, was an ardent supporter. Despite her love of clothes, Prada became ambivalent towards fashion as a profession, dismissing it as demeaning, frivolous and stupid. This ambivalence is reflected in many of her collections, which sometimes consist of dowdy and even purposefully ugly pieces, as a statement against traditional ideas of beauty.
Upon graduation, Prada resisted working for the family business, instead training as a mime at Milan’s Piccolo Teatro. After five years, her parents forbade her to continue, despite her love of the profession. Forced to find work, Prada reluctantly took a position in her family’s store, and in 1978 inherited the company. That same year she met her future husband (now Prada’s CEO), Patrizio Bertelli (b 1946), at a trade fair in Milan. She soon after granted him exclusive license to manufacture Prada leather goods, and the two became business partners—an alliance that, over the course of time, has helped turn Prada into a luxury goods conglomerate worth more than $2 billion.
In 1985, Prada entered the fashion industry, persuading her family firm to produce nylon purses and backpacks, non-descript save for a triangular metal tag bearing the Prada logo. Her subtle nylon tote made waves for its modesty, conspicuous at a time when over-the-top decorativeness was de rigueur, and the bag was an instant hit.
Prada decided to launch a women’s ready-to-wear collection in 1989—despite having no formal design training or sewing skills. She assembled a team of talented people to translate her themes, concepts and personal tastes, and a collection with dropped waistlines, simple lines and muted colours was born—radically different from what other designers were producing at the time. In 1993 she launched a menswear line, as well as Miu Miu, a bridge line of less expensive clothing inspired by her personal wardrobe. That same year she won the Council of Fashion Designers of America International Award.
Bolstered by the company’s success, Bertelli and Prada decided to expand in the late 1990s, buying major interests in Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, Church’s Shoes, Azzedine Alaïa, apparel-maker Genny and Car Shoe. They also entered into a joint venture with an eyewear manufacturing company and purchased a 25% stake in Fendi, which was later sold. By 2007, the company decided to return to its core concerns, selling Jil Sander, Helmut Lang and Azzedine Alaïa.