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| Prada, by Miuccia Prada, autumn/winter 2012, in Milan |
Prada said the show was also about a “historical memory” — a sweep that includes her own legacy. The offbeat colors – including mustard and dull purple — and vintage-look fabrics could only come from her. And among the cast of show characters were some of her runway models of yore. It was a tour de force.
Prada lent her considerable weight as a fashion influencer to a big mood change in men’s wear. Sunny colors and cheerful prints were discharged and replaced by clothes that are darker, more severe and sometimes even drab. In Prada’s hands, they look new and compelling.
From the first exit — a smart dark coat over a white turtleneck, slim pants and gleaming dress shoes — Prada set a military tone. Belted coats in lightweight wool were a major statement, worn by most of her troops, and often decorated with badges and sunglasses over the heart. Sometimes coats were layered over other coats, vests, shirts and turtlenecks — as if you can never dress too powerfully. Butler pinstripes evoked other kinds of uniforms.