Prada was founded by Mario Prada and brother in 1913 when he opened his opulent boutique Galleria Vittorio Emmanuelle in Milan. He offered his demanding clientele the very best of luxury goods available at that time: silver from London, crystal from Austria, Hartman leather goods, and of course the most exquisite shoes, leather handbags and trunks. 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. However, after the death of the founder in 1978 the company had gone into decline.
Miuccia Bianca Prada is not your typical fashion designer. She had a doctorate in political science by her mid-20's, she studied mime artistry at the Piccolo Teatro di Milano, and she was a communist in her 30's.
Miuccia Prada became interested in fashion partly to prove that a woman can be successful in design, and that none of male designers was able to deliver what a normal woman really needs. Since sales were down, she expanded into luxury tote bags and backpacks in black with flat classic lines, made from nylon.
She began constructing clothes not preoccupied with sex appeal full of nonconformist beauty. In a magazine article, Miuccia Bianca Prada was once quoted saying that her designs have freedom from definition and constriction. No surprise that avant-garde art movements, beatniks, hippies, and even punk have constant presence in her collections – crafted in the most artisan way.
In 1970 she started making backpack bags out of waterproof fabric called Pocone. These bags were seasonless, practical, lightweight and waterproof. Triangular Prada logo and supple leather trim became fashion staples since, and not a single fashionista in 1980s was caught dead without at least something black, nylon and “so Prada”.
Since 1979 Miuccia Prada and her husband and business partner Patrizio Bertelli personally overlook the Prada family business. In their Milan headquarters and Tuscani factory all stages of design and production are strictly controlled to make sure that Mario Prada’s vision of fashion continues making artisan’s qualities come alive in fashion-forward spirit. She operated from Milano flagship boutique long before opening first London store in 1994.
By the end of 1990s Prada became a fashion empire after a series acquisitions taking over Helmut Lang, Church Shoes, Jil Sander, Fendi and other fashion brands. Although, for the sake of financial well-being of the main line Prada decided to sell Fendi to LVMH (who own Dior, Givenchy and other houses) for $250 million in 2001.In April 2002, Prada sold Byblos, a house that they had only acquired in June 2001.
In 1993 Prada received an International award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America. Soon after that, in 1995 she won "Designer of the Year" award. Slightly retro cashmere cardigans, knee length skirts, and deconstructed shapes make Prada style not exactly fashionable but extremely influent.
Apart from Muiccia Prada, there is another creative person in house. Fabio Zambernardi joined Prada in 1997, and in December 2002, he became an artistic director for Prada and Miu Miu.
For
summer of 2005, Prada is all about ornithology. Miuccia Prada used pheasant and peacock feathers on linear, sophisticated and intriguing clothes. Embellishments varied from crochet work through photo prints of feathers to feathery surface of subtle polo sweaters and striped knits with pleated skirts. Having pushed the trend for prim, ladylike dressing over the last couple of seasons Prada goes back to the childish side with hemlines above the knee and schoolgirl-style tunic dresses.
But don’t expect any surprises from Miuccia herself – she would peek from the backstage for the final bow at the end of the show dressed in her trademark clothes – a cardigan, a pleated skirt, and some sumptuous mules of the moment. Year after year, and only fabrics and colors change. After all, according to Miuccia Prada, fabric is fabric, and the only news is how you pull things together.
Natalie Bauer
Prada in Toronto:
131 Bloor West
Toronto ON M5S1R1
(416) 513-0400
Prada 
