Prada is a popular brand among celebrities and socialites; the status of the fashion house was helped along nicely by the Hollywood hit The Devil Wears Prada. Vouge reports that Prada has negotiated a loan designed to refinance existing debt and aid in the expansion of their brand.  In addition to managing the pre-existing debt, the new funds will go towards 30 new stores and a presence in the Asian markets.  It is very exciting to see this fashion house expanding moving upwards. 

In homage to this bold financial move, let’s take a look at what was presented from Prada’s Autumn/Winter 2010 - 2011 show in Milan. 

Black and tan were the dominant colors of the collection with a shot of blue worked into some of the pieces to liven things up.  Prada appears to have drawn inspiration from the word “lady” for this collection.  All the pieces are dresses or skirts sets and all the silhouettes are graceful, flattering, and celebratory of female form.  The fabrics were heavier than what is commonly seen on the runway and perhaps it was a trick of the light combined with the denser materials, but the models looked heavier too.  By no means did they look overweight.  Far from it!  They looked shapely, trim, toned and healthy.  The curvy figures went very well with the knee and below knee length outfits.  In fact, the curves were visible through the heavier fabrics; the girls were not lost or swallowed up in the layers of clothing.

Prada kept this collection very simple and yet it is precisely this simplicity that makes the collection so striking.  A coat is simply a well cut, well crafted coat.  It does not come with alien inspired proportions, rare gemstone embellishments, or couture inspired touches.  It is simply a coat.  The dresses and skirt sets were very much the same.  They were expertly cut, fit like a dream, and very minimalist. 

Another nice touch was the glasses.  Several of the models appeared on stage wearing retro glasses - one pair even had the cat-eye slant of the 60s.  This nostalgic nod went quite well with the overall theme.  Several good old fashioned knit sweaters also made an appearance which immediately made me long for a cup of coco and a warm fire on a cold, winter day. When a collection - or any artist for that matter - evokes an emotion, you know the artist has done a wonderful job.

All in all, Prada’s latest collection is a breath of fresh air and clearly in line with the ladylike, pared down trends for fall.  It will be interesting to see how Prada’s plans for future development unfold in the coming year.  I’m betting on seeing more of Prada’s success stories in the upcoming seasons.