Yesterday marked Prada’s hotly anticipated showcase at Milan Fashion Week, where over-sized Alice bands, ‘60s silhouettes and sheer, iridescent hosiery reigned supreme. Presenting one of its most smart, sexy and multifaceted feminine collections to date, SLEEK takes a look at Prada’s resplendent SS19 offering, rounding up the five fiercest looks.
A commonly accepted rule of the fashion elite is that black and brown should not be worn together. Separately, the two are generally taken to represent a dull and sober kind of monotony, and when put together the feeling multiplies. Thankfully, Prada eschewed this rule, and opened the SS19 show with a – well some would say rather understated – bang. Looking at the outfit from the top to bottom, the boxy brown shorts and the structured black top contrast spectacularly with the flamingo pink sock sandals. The footwear – potentially a nod to Balenciaga – teeters between cool and hideous, adding an air of who-cares nonchalance to this otherwise austere ensemble.
The collection demonstrated a marriage of opposites throughout, and this look epitomises this sentiment like no other. Prada took the traditional uniform of the bourgeoisie, and subverted the conservative values that these shapes and forms suggest. The sweetness of this green A-line skirt is offset with a plunging, graphic body suit, baring swathes of exposed skin with sheer knee-high stockings and yellow satin Mary-Janes to boot.
Pushing a retro 60s vibe, Prada mashed Op-Art prints with hippie tie-dye in a number of clash-centric looks. In this particularly elegant example, black sheer long sleeves were paired with a looping blue and white print, a utilitarian belt and a leather satchel. Of course, Miuccia bucked the trend for teeny-tiny ‘90s shades, instead completing the look with enormous, winged‘60s glasses befitting of a sophisticated Fellini heroine.
A bubble-gum pink alice band combined with a stiff black leather trench and an olive green pinafore with a starched white collar, is the sort of look that shouldn’t work on paper, but in Miuccia Prada’s hands somehow transfigures into the sort of edgy girliness that we all want to wear. Paired with punky, studded gloves, sheer stockings and prim, pointed pumps, this is the ultimate naughty-meets-nice, good girl gone bad ensemble. Not to be messed with.
Nothing screams sass and sophistication like this candy-red ‘60s-inspired coat set against this season’s signature, an oversized Alice band lined with silver studs. Elegance has always been in Prada’s DNA and this bold endeavour into outerwear marks the perfect meeting of street and smart. The fact that it’s contrasted with futuristic footwear that looks like what would happen if Julius Caesar stepped into streetwear makes this a solid 10/10.