Raf Simons Makes His Debut at Prada

When Prada announced that Raf Simons would be joining Miuccia Prada as the house’s co-creative director, the fashion world, understandably, went crazy. However, the news broke before the pandemic hit, and no one anticipated that their first show would be attended only by the two designers themselves.

After nearly seven months of anticipation, one of the most buzz-worthy Spring/Summer 2021 shows is finally out for all to marvel at. After all, one bright side of our new reality is that the playing field has been somewhat leveled, and now everyone can watch the genius unfold from the comfort of their couches by visiting prada.com.

To no one’s surprise, the show was a masterpiece. Eerie techno music reminiscent of the Stranger Things theme song lulls in the background, courtesy of Richie Hawtin. A room swathed in yellow velvet is revealed, adorned only by spinning cameras with mirrors fixed above them. The mood of the desolate space then comes alive as socially-distanced models with quarantine bangs (all making their catwalk debut) step out to show exactly what Raf x Miuccia has to offer.

Making its comeback, the archival “ugly” Prada prints rear their heads once again from the Autumn/Winter and Spring/Summer 1996 collections. The saying goes, “If it ain’t broke, don’t break it,” but Raf inevitably puts his spin on the prints by applying the look to hoodies and adding in symbols and words that need decoding. Belgian artist Peter de Potter, a long-time collaborator of Raf, contributed to the collection by creating this artwork that explores the relationship between humans and technology.

Raf’s signature pieces are strikingly obvious within the collection that contains oversized coats, hoodies, and graphic art pieces. Conceptually, the collection explores Miuccia’s staple uniforms, this time through the lens of our “new normal” of quarantine and Zoom. The maison brings us shell-emphasized tops, cut-out turtlenecks, minimalistic long pants, overcoats in Prada’s couture “re-nylon”, and impeccably tailored suits. Brightly colored kitten heels also make their statement for around-the-house lounging.

Even the usual madness of post-show, backstage press was altered to fit our current reality. This time, it took the form of a casual conversation between friends as fans were asked to submit questions to be answered by the legendary duo.

Sitting 6 feet away from one another and with masks their accessories of choice, Raf (sporting a 2000’s Zac Efron swoop haircut and donning an oversized sweatshirt) and Miuccia (obviously, dressed impeccably) answered some hard-hitting questions. To preface the conversation, Miuccia states, “During lockdown, I realized how important technology is and how it is impactful. In some ways, it is an extension of ourselves. We have the occasion to really show clothes, we can’t see the real clothes, the real people, the real public… but we hope you can enjoy and see the clothes better.” Miuccia goes on to talk about how important sustainability and inclusivity is to Prada and how little by little, as a company, they are trying to do better.

On the subject of how long they’ve wanted to work together, Raf says, “It never occurred to me that this could possibly happen, but I’m extremely happy with it. I think we’ve always been interested in each other’s work… so when the question came, there was no doubt. So, as long as I’ve known Miuccia and her work [is how long I’ve wanted to work with her].”

Speaking to a 10-year-old girl’s ambition to become like her, Miuccia explains, “Study, study, study. Learn. Watch movies. Watch art. Read literature. Learn that a piece of clothing serves the rule of making you live better. It’s for you and for your life; it’s not an abstract job. The result of my job is that the people with my clothes probably feel a bit better, maybe live a bit better. It has to be useful. It helps define your personality. It's an instrument for your life.”

Miuccia doesn’t know how to define “Prada-ness” since she, herself, invented it, but Raf expresses, “I still try to keep on thinking about how I see the Prada company, like, how have I seen the Prada company forever, the brand and what does it mean, and how do I perceive it. So in that sense, for many years—maybe more than 25 years, and before I had my own brand—I’ve always seen it as a community that has a very specific attitude, intellect, aesthetic. And that is the one thing, you can’t really define what it is, but you feel it—it exists.”

While the collection seems very strong in its Raf-ness, its Prada-ness also has a powerful foothold. Taking, for example, the outerwear: the auteurs put an elegant emphasis on it. The couture-like elements and the construction of the over-exaggerated coats alongside the ‘90s slender cigarette trousers build a solid foundation for the pair’s potential future collections.

Hopefully, this historic collaboration will be the first step of Raf’s manifestation to System Magazine. During an interview between the co-creative directors and System, Raf expressed his concern with overly-structured couture houses, saying, “For me, I would be excited if Miuccia would do the Raf Simons brand for a season, and then I would do a season for Marc Jacobs in New York, and Marc would do Prada.” Perhaps the rest of his vision will come to fruition in the nearby future.

As Raf announces his foray into womenswear for his own brand debuting October 23rd and continues to work with Miuccia for their Prada January menswear collection, the fashion industry will remain forever changed.