At Milan Fashion Week Prada comes undone

The jagged form of a front split in a pencil skirt could almost have been a sewing mishap. The same for the creases on a blazer or the way a silk dress had its fabric twisted at the hem. It was, of course, wholly intentional, it being Prada, the purveyor of paired-down fashion and complex themes.

“Gestures of Errors” is how co-creative director Raf Simons explained the technical protocols. Those who regularly handle fabrics, know that different types, be it wool, cotton, silks, all have their own behaviours, responding uniquely to cutting, washing and even sewing.

The show notes explained the ethos: “Life and humanity crafts the clothes—not superficial embellishment, but traces of living, leaving marks. This idea of clothes shaped by humanity excites us.”

This is why the different folds, splits, gatherings and twists were given life, letting fabrics speak for themselves. It was echoed by Prada’s infamous runway set, where Danish film director Nicolas Winding Refn's take on unfiltered and raw domesticity, framed and textualised the collection. As always, it was executed into a dynamic set by Dutch architects and researchers OMA.

'Clothes for the intimacy of the home'

As for the clothes, intentional mishaps aside, there were broad shouldered jackets worn over skinny trousers and jumpsuits for day. The humble shirt was ubiquitous, yet freshly buttoned to the neck, worn under woolly sweaters and tailoring, with styled sleeves to keep cuffs visible.

In a statement Prada said its day and evening wear cross-pollinate. "The signs and signifiers of each shifting - opera coats fuse with leather jackets, tailoring borrows trains of fabric. Clothes for the intimacy of the home in delicate pastel tones fuse with outerwear, a blurring of distinct realities, while a notion of Prada uniform, in bodysuits of poplin shirting in industrial colors, denotes a minimalized reality."

There was little of the logo mania on show from previous seasons, with the exception of a fitted long sleeve that featured an embroidered logo at the neckline. Oversized folded collars and a double-button front closing was seen on a leather coat and dress.

All of the looks, there were 55, were teamed with an updated Mary Jane shoe, a sturdier and pointer version in a Prada palette of colours. These will be instantly recognisable when they hit retailers next season.