Designers’ designer Miuccia Prada might well be the most famous designer in the fashion world – even those who have absolutely no interest in fashion would have heard the name. But only connoisseurs know that Mrs. Prada – as the designer is respectfully called by friends and employees – holds a PhD in political sciences, has some modelling experience and is married to her business partner. We have gathered these and other lesser known facts about the undeniable queen of Italian fashion.
The Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. From Museomilano.it
PhD in Political Science
Miuccia Prada grew up in a middle-class Milanese family – since 1913 her grandfather produced leather goods and ran a shop at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. The family was Catholic and conservative. Miuccia however, was a rebel. In the 1960s, still in her teens, she was the first one in her school to adopt the subversive hippie style. She went on to be a Communist, a feminist and quite naturally pursued a PhD in political science at the University of Milan. Unfortunately, the topic of her thesis remains an enigma.
French Communist Party HQ. Photo by Christophe Ena
Communist Past
“In those days, if you weren’t stupid, you wanted to change society and you were left wing,”commented Prada on her membership at the Communist party in the 1960s, adding that back then there was no contradiction to a leftist feminist becoming a fashion designer. Even now, asthe 17th richest person in Italy, Prada still keeps her views. She has stated on numerous occasions that her goods cost as much as they do because of the supreme working conditions her employees have. Several years ago, possibly as a nod to her political beliefs, Prada staged a fashion show at the headquarters of the French Communist party, an austere 1970s building designed by Oscar Niemeyer.
From “The Great Gatsby,” 2013
Working with Baz Luhrmann
In 2013 Miuccia Prada collaborated with costume director Catherine Martin on creating 1920s-inspired costumes for Baz Luhrmann’s The Great Gatsby. As Prada said in an interview, she was not as much interested in Fitzgerald’s novel per se as in the historical period it depicted.
Angela Lindvall in Fall/Winter 1998. Courtesy of Prada
Intellectual perspective
Nothing made by Miuccia Prada is simply pretty or glamorous — there is always a twist. In her work she continuously pursues the elusive issue of female self-perception, reflecting on contradictions and ambiguities of female identity. Prada was at the forefront of innovation in the 1990s with her “beautiful ugly” aesthetic, and she brought irony into fashion. Prada is also an avid art collector who, judging by her Fondazione, could have become a first-rate curator.
Courtesy of Prada
Modelling for LOVE magazine
In 2013 Miuccia Prada modelled for LOVE magazine’s fifth-anniversary issue. Editor-in-chief Katie Grand wanted to collaborate with the designer on something Prada had never done before – modelling. In the resulting series of four images Miuccia Prada appeared wearing – quite naturally – clothes designed by herself.
Photo by Bobby Yip
Fabrizio Bertelli
Prada met her future husband at a leather fair in 1978, shortly after she took over the family business. Leather bags presented by Bertelli suspiciously looked like her own designs. At first she was annoyed but then, appreciating the quality, offered Bertelli to become a supplier for her company. Nine years later, in 1987, they got married. Now Fabrizio Bertelli is her business partner and the co-CEO of the influential Prada Group that owns controlling interests in Azzedine Alaia, Jil Sander and Helmut Lang among others.
Photo by Attillio Maranzano
Collaborated With Wes Anderson
Among Prada’s numerous collaborations (she has worked with Roman Polanski and Francesco Vezzoli, and – of course – with Rem Kolhaas), Wes Anderson deserves a special mention. The director who shares Prada’s love for the candy-coloured palette, not only collaborated with her on a number of campaign videos but also designed a cafe for Fondazione.