"Simple, simple, we want to value them again and reclaim their value, rather than pursuing an extreme beauty and charm." When the movable dome transforms the atmosphere of the space, the launch of Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection begins. At a time when the world is still recovering, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons use design vocabulary to respond to what is happening in the world and around them today, reaffirming their understanding of "beauty" and perceiving the individual in the name of "care".
Recalling the release of the men's collection not long ago, the dome is still moving up and down, but this time, compared to the release of the men's collection, several orange square columns calmly and rationally divide the space, and the two-way confrontation between horizontal and vertical directions adds a bit of depression to the individuals who were trapped in the dark before the release began. And when the guests touched the white lily brooch on the invitation in their hands, the gentle texture of the cotton cloth and the comfort brought by the flowers made people feel the plain warmth.
* The ceiling of the show space moves, revealing clusters of flowers
And how should fashion find its place? To this day, this remains a complex and difficult question to say. When reason and rules cannot smooth out the "disorder", Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons try to pull people back into the sensual world through a hearty dream, looking for "care", telling romance and hope.
* Swipe to view Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
The music plays slowly, the dome slowly rises, and the clusters of lilies at the top of the pillars overflow obliquely, breaking the show made of regular geometric forms, and the gentleness and care of the flowers suddenly appear. Ilya Vermeulen walked out slowly. All it takes is a simple gray knit top with a white dress embellished with exquisite flowers, which is enough to reflect the beauty that belongs to Prada. Light sheer white gauze and wrapped fabrics, soft and skin-friendly textures and decorative pointed toe shoes... It is not difficult for the viewer to find the opposition of countless details in the space and form, which is the clever juxtaposition of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons - in a seemingly impossible combination, allowing the amorphous aesthetic to flow freely.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
The flowers shown in the pre-show video fell into the skirts and shoes, revealing pure life force. Short or long white dresses appear many times, the white holiness reflects the romance of wedding dress, and the treatment of the length of the skirt is interesting, short and proper, and inadequate, which increases the possibility of daily wear. By simplifying the design, Prada dissolves the original social meaning of "wedding dresses" and the limitations of the occasion - they are beautiful enough to accompany every woman in an important moment of life, but decent enough to be worn as a daily wear.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
At the same time, in the combination of skirts and coats and knitwear, "poetry" and "life" are balanced, turning into a new "everyday", "transforming a caring uniform into everyday clothing, charcoal gray and camel crewneck sweaters are an effective partner." Raf Simons quipped in a post-show interview. The boundaries between the everyday and the formal, the ordinary and the special, are dissolved here, and a fluid world unfolds.
On Chinese social media platforms, Prada's aesthetics are known as "intellectual outfits". For a while, "dressing like a cultural person" became the public's "impression" of Prada. However, this description should not be used as a label for some kind of playfulness, and "intellectual" is not synonymous with a certain trend, it has its unbreakable core, which is Ms. Miuccia's consistent spirit of defiance. Starting with the groundbreaking olive green check cloth representing Ugly Chic, Ms. Miuccia has always expressed the pioneering power of anti-fashion.
She admits that she no longer values "extreme beauty and glamour", and that "glamour", which has witchcraft and deceptive visual meanings in the etymological sense, is actually very similar to "fashion". Abandoning the absolute pursuit of "glamour", to a certain extent, is also resisting the visual magic of "fashion" - Miuccia Prada has a deeper expression.
* Swipe to view Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
We cannot easily change the thinness or roundness of the body, and we have to wear "uniforms" due to the needs of social places, but individuals can still declare their ideals and attitudes through the processing of clothing details. The multi-colored lapels in this show represent a break in the ordinariness and system. If the black suit is the embodiment of "rules", then the Gothic colorful peak lapels are the spirit of freedom that flies out from the neck. "Intellectuals" often appear as idealists and unwilling warriors, and when they "go to war" against boredom and boredom, the multi-colored pointed collar is the "military flag".
*Colourful Gothic peak lapels frequently featured in Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
Remember the "briefcase" and "thermos cup" in the recent menswear collection? The former projects social discipline and modern work systems, while the latter creates a space for reverie - the "thermos cup" contains alcohol, which is the cunning "strange taste". Taken together, Prada's intention to break certain fixed social scenes and rules and disciplines could not be more obvious.
* Swipe to view Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
"When I looked out from the pillow, I dreamed that you were right next to me. Even though we are apart, we are always close to each other. When The Kinks' "I Go To Sleep (Demo)" music plays, plump skirts made of down and soft and fluffy coats gradually appear, and the model's body seems to "lie" on some pillow, wrapped in a warm "sense of security". This is reminiscent of the "live in your clothes" clothing philosophy. And whether this call for "security" reflects Ms. Miuccia's thinking about the current era, the answer is open, carving out a space for free understanding.
In addition to the "spirit of resistance", the concern for "sociality" is also the core of intellectuals. In the new season collection, those olive-green military jackets are a perfect testament to "sociality". The meaning of "uniform" is deconstructed again, as Miuccia Prada says: "We wanted to make these caring uniforms into uniforms that symbolize 'beauty'. "Military uniforms were reinterpreted, with cropped brims, raised lapels and hoods, and parkas were given an elegant back design or enlarged to create a cute cocoon-shaped structure.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection, military elements reinterpreted
As the new season comes to an end, several sets of pure white shirt dresses are inspired by the transformation of nurses' uniforms. The meaning of whiteness, restraint, rigor, and elegance is reminiscent of Ma Yan's poem, "Snapdragon bottom floats blisters, and light blue smoke floats through the entire medical school." The elongated floor-length skirt moves with the model's gait, like an overflowing anticipation.
*Plain white shirt dress, derived from the modification of nurse's uniform
The hem of the garment is cut high, so that the position of the pocket is also moved up. It is reminiscent of the equally turbulent post-war years, when the austere clothing rationing system reflected the unease of the times. But in Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 women's collection, the short top and floor-length skirt appear at the same time, which has a different meaning, which seems to be secretly in line with this composite and contradictory current era - some people are at war, some people celebrate daily life, the world has never been so closely bonded into a community of destiny, and it has never been so different.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 women's collection, the edge is moved upwards to create a different kind of beauty
When the music of "Blue Danube" plays in the show space, our thoughts are brought back to Kubrick's masterpiece "2001: A Space Odyssey" composed in 1968. The orange pillars in the show are like the "black stone stele" in the movie. The movie prophecy of 50 years ago can find its traces now.
*Liu Wen, closing the show for Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
The music of the show is like a grand wedding sona, bringing the dreamy atmosphere to the extreme. At that time, the dome fell again, covering a cluster of lilies, which seemed to herald the end of dreams, and rules and reason were still naked reality. When the dream awakens, the turmoil and unrest remain, and Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons once again "care" for the individual and reality with fashion. In a sinking era where ideas have been dissolved, they have found a balance between the mood of the times and fashion design, returning to the true life force, and bringing ironing and touching to the world.
*Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection interprets the meaning of "caring" through fashion
Youth, what do you think?
This fashion week, "NYLON Nylon" will watch the show together with students from Beijing Institute of Fashion Technology, and invite new design forces to sit around. Exchange the "views" of young audiences and new design professionals.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
N=NYLON
M = Mori for Fashion Design Engineering
C = Jewelry Design Chen Jiayi
R = Fiber & Fashion Pro Rui
K = Clothing and Costume Design Major Ke Keyin
H=Shoe Design Major Huang Beibei
N: A fashion release is a collection of multiple elements. Prada's Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection expresses the theme of this time from different levels - "Caring". What do you think about this?
M: Whether it is the silhouette of the garment or the color combination, Ms. Miuccia uses what she does best, and Raf Simons also flexibly combines his design language. The combination of the two together creates the theme of this season. Among them, the flower element that appears many times is an expression of "care", because the words of lilies are "emotional care". Beauty is not only a visual enjoyment, but also an action made by oneself.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
N: Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection, rediscovering and defining the concept of "beauty". This reminds us of Ms. Miuccia's classic Ugly Chic, which also challenges the stereotype of "beauty". What do you think about this?
C: Ugly Chic is part of the DNA of the Prada brand. This so-called "Ugly" actually means to distance myself from the cliché "trend". In my opinion, rather than challenging the definition of "beauty", Ms. Miuccia is creating a unique beauty, an expression exclusive to Prada.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
N: This time, it is not difficult to see clothing with specific meanings, such as uniforms and wedding dresses, have been redesigned, reinterpreted, and become new everyday clothing. This transformation strips away the social connotations of "uniform" and "wedding dress". What do you think about this?
R: The symbolic attributes of the wedding dress representing individual emotions and the uniform representing collective belonging are dissolved in Prada's deconstruction process and transformed into loose everyday matches.
K: Uniforms are one of the most basic and difficult social garments to change. In this series, the uniform is given a special sense of care, maverick and unconventional, as if blooming from the "bondage" cage and the fighting spirit to pursue freedom. Prada's liberating power is contained in uniforms and wedding dresses, a collision of restraint and radicalization, and a reinvention of female power.
C: The wedding dress is a symbol of expressing love, which has long formed a solidified form in people's hearts. Prada transformed it into everyday attire, where the ordinary collided with the special, removing the labels "formal" and "informal". I think that's what makes Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons brilliant, bringing us conquering beauty.
*Prada Fall/Winter 2023 womenswear collection
N: Prada has always found its own balance between "sociality" and "fashion". Reaching society through fashion, what do you think about this?
K: Fashion is a reflection of society. Even if it doesn't have enough power to actually change real-world problems, it should be socially responsible. Prada's ability to balance fashion design with social issues is a commendable move.
H: Fashion has always been a reflection of social conditions. Prada has also been actively involved in social issues, which is valuable for fashion brands, because "sociality" often comes with risks. Of course, this choice comes from Ms. Miuccia's own educational experience. In her early years, she was a feminist who held high the banner. Brands use their influence to reach social issues and deserve everyone's admiration.
WRITTEN BY: RUNNI
Edited by Walser
Image: Courtesy of the brand