My Favourite Brand

Prada

Founded in 1913 by Mr Mario Prada, the Italian luxury brand first began as a store located in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan. Prada started out by selling trunks, bags, and other accessories to a wealthy public, which played a role in helping the brand to obtain the title of Official Supplier of the Italian Royal House. Despite Mario Prada’s patriarchal ways, his daughter Luisa took over the brand and ran it for twenty years as his successor. Miuccia Prada joined the family business in 1970, designing bags and trunks, including the nylon “Vela” bag.  

In 1979, the brand expanded their collection with women’s footwear. With the success of this line, Prada was able to market their stores all over the world, with boutiques in Milan, London, Tokyo, Paris, and Madrid. With her new partner Patrizio Bertelli, who owned his own leather goods business, Prada’s global success pushed the two into the introduction of a womenswear line, and the brand’s first catwalk in 1988. Distinguishing themselves with their luxurious fabrics, clean lines, and distinct colors, Prada settled in as one of the most coveted fashion brands in the early 1990s.   

Prada today stands as a multibillion-dollar business, and one of the top luxury fashion brands in the world. Iconic pieces from the brand include their nylon backpacks, a particular fabric choice as leather had been the go-to material for luxury bags, the flaming stiletto, a rather controversial and eccentric runway piece that debuted in 2012, and the Prada tie, black and straightforward with Prada’s signature triangle logo from its menswear collection.  

Prada began by making a name for themselves with their rather luxurious and slim-cut line of clothing with emphasis on the waist and solid colors. They then transitioned into bold and fun colors with varying patterns, settling into a much more “kitsch” look. More recently, Prada has appealed to androgenous fashion with their launches of accessories and clothing.