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A family business with more than a century of history is today one of the most coveted brands by all who follow fashion, create trends and bring Italy the title of the center where good taste is concentrated. How did the owners go from creating travel accessories to haute couture? Let's talk about the Prada brand.

Back in 1913, Italian Mario Prada, a master of leather goods, particularly handbags and luggage, first opened a small store. His creations quickly gained local popularity because, according to the customers themselves, were both durable and beautiful, and this beauty was not fleeting. The founder used the finest quality leather, as well as exotic materials, rare woods and even bone inlays. His brother Martino began to help him and in a few years rumors about the magnificent products for travel flew all over Italy - up to the fact that the masters provide good bags for representatives of the royal family. This continued until the 50s, when the brand was taken over by Mario's daughter Luisa. The woman was able to bring the family brand's products, which already included clothing, to the international market, significantly expanding production and popularity.

A quantum leap

In 1977, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia, known as the main inspiration behind everything Prada still does today, joined the management of the brand. The girl not only continued the life of the brand, but also created from it a concern, where fundamental collections of clothing and shoes, accessories and luxury perfumes are created.

However, this did not happen from the very beginning, Miuccia is an example of a person who did not want to initially engage in the family business and had completely different hobbies, as far as possible from the world of fashion. The girl had an active social and life position and looked at everything through the prism of conservatism, still reigning then in Italy. Having received a degree in political science, she became interested in theater art, namely - mime. But in the end Miuccia decided to become at the helm of a fashion house, although her vision of the true attractiveness of clothes diverged from the views of the society of the time. But being a political scientist by training, she accepted the idea that clothes are a way to convey ideas, thoughts and attitudes, not just a wrapper for the human body.

Miuccia believes that fashion is not only about decorating the most attractive parts of the body, but also about understated elegance that emphasizes a person's character and intelligence. With her knowledge of business processes, she decided to lead the brand's aesthetics along the path of intellectual framing of beauty without excessive eroticism or any primness.

In the 80's there was a crisis in the brand and Miuccia came just in time. Bags at that time were already becoming lighter, more practical and durable - but competitors had it all. It took several years to create the first collections, but the young designer knew where to go and was in no hurry. With all the restraint Miuccia was peculiar to experiment, and having rather progressive views, she approached the creation of new things from a different, unusual angle. For example, the incredibly successful idea to use nylon as the main material was born. The practical lightweight but dense fabric was originally used by her grandfathers as wrapping paper! Yes, yes, but Miuccia, known for her love of the functionality of everything around her, decided to make a backpack out of this material, which was a real breakthrough. In those days, similar fabrics were used to make tents, used in construction work - which was not at all associated with high and luxury level. However, Miuccia decided to challenge the established rules in the fashion world.

In addition to nylon, in the late 80's collections of clothes were created that appealed to the classics and simplicity at the same time (remember, in those years at the peak of fame was pretentious and shouting glamor). Miuccia also went against the trends of the time, making the main emphasis on timeless silhouettes, convenience of wearing every day and was inspired not by rock stars, but by conventional office workers, stewardesses, etc. In addition to clothing, Prada also made shoes, following the same style path.

Nylon became iconic and central to the Prada brand - Prada nylon bag is a living proof. Entire collections of clothing were started in this material, and for the 90s it was equally a shock and a new turn in the fashion world. The brand became popular again, with clothes and backpacks of Prada nylon being bought up as they combined both practicality and status in a new way.

Who is Miu Miu?

Either realizing the growing popularity and, as a consequence, the increasing demand from very different people, or from the desire to realize a kind of "dreams of youth", Miuccia decided to pay more attention to young people. Thus in 1992 the brand Miu Miu - from the diminutive version of the designer's name - appeared. The collections of this brand became a welcome piece of fashion cake for a very young generation. The audience met the creations of the subsidiary brand with applause, which was in no way expected according to pragmatic business forecasts. Things with Miu Miu tag were sold in the same Prada boutiques, which allowed to balance all aspirations - the art of fashionably dressing absolutely everyone and the financial results of the company. 

By the end of the 90s, the brand had firmly established itself at the top of fashion popularity and began to expand its product line. New accessories appeared - sunglasses. And finally - the turn came to men. Prada created a men's collection in a relaxed casual style. At the same time the brand got one of its legendary trademarks - a red latex stripe with the name. Shoes, clothes and accessories released at the same time were united in the Prada linea rossa.

There are two main men in the life of Prada and Miu Miu brands besides the heiress of the family: Miuccia's husband Patrizzio and chief art director Fabio Zambernardi, who started working at Prada almost from the very beginning. 

Despite her personal conservatism, Miuccia always experiments in the brand and expands the boundaries of interaction between the fashion world and everything else. Thus, she attracts artists of different directions to work on collections.

Having already had a lot of experience in the fashion industry, Miuccia realized that it is not easy at all, especially in the beginning. That's why she and her husband founded the Prada Foundation back in the 90s, which helps aspiring artists, designers and other people in the field of art. Pushing the boundaries of the beautiful, the house of Prada decided to create a modern art museum, which opened in the early 21st century in Milan. 

Did the devil wear Prada?

As it turned out, the brand has nothing to do with the sensational movie based on the book "The Devil Wears Prada" and was only an inspiration for the authors. Nevertheless, the fashion house had experience in creating stage costumes for the characters of some movies - for example, "The Great Gatsby" owes the revival of love for the style of the 20's to Prada. Remembering her passion of her youth, Miuccia also created costumes for opera productions.

Throughout the 2000s and 2010s, each new Prada fashion collection became different from the previous one. First it was the restrained women's suits in bright colors, then it was the layered looks with huge prints in the form of women's faces. This is a true indicator that the fashion designer draws inspiration from absolutely different sources, while never contradicting himself.

In 2020, a unique event happened - the Prada brand has a second chief designer. Raf Simons, who has been working with the company for more than 15 years, accepted the invitation of the fashion house. The Belgian designer has a lot of experience - during his career he managed to work in high positions in Dior, Calvin Klein and Jil Sander - the brand was part of the Prada Group for some time. With this global change, Miuccia decided that she still had something to say to the fashion world. This is a rare case in luxury houses, but the collaboration is already showing great results. 

Today, as we know, Miuccia is on the verge of a well-deserved rest - for more than 40 years she has immortalized the Prada fashion house, forever leaving a lasting impression and influence on the fashion world.