Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons are known for their impeccable timing. Just days after Meta announced restrictions on Instagram’s use for teenagers, the duo unveiled a collection that questioned the growing influence of algorithms on our lives. “In a way, we feel we are ruled by algorithms,” Prada observed backstage, “so everything we like or know, we like or know because it has been imposed by others.” However, she made it clear that this wasn’t a condemnation or critique.
For leaders of a global brand like Prada and Simons, algorithms are not easily avoided. The moment the front row guests entered, the show exploded on social media. But the runway looks suggested that the duo aren’t passively accepting the influence of these platforms. They seem to be grappling with the homogenization of culture through algorithms, something journalist Kyle Chayka calls ‘Filterworld’ in his book of the same name.
The key to this season’s show lies in its deliberate lack of consistency. It was one of Prada’s most outlandish collections to date, incorporating elements of futuristic design with sporty aesthetics. The collection was a jarring mix of styles – from Google-inspired hats and skirts with countless circular cutouts to harness details and skirts adorned with leather fringe.
While sportswear formed the foundation of the collection, it was presented in unconventional ways. Shirts with wire-framed collars and distorted hemlines were paired with traditional sporty designs. Footwear, a unique element of the collection, brought back popular styles from past collections, further emphasizing the lack of cohesiveness in the overall aesthetic.
This lack of unity is the collection’s core, even if it leaves viewers, and perhaps even Prada herself, perplexed. “This show was so, so nervous, more than usual,” said Prada. “This season we had a different approach. Instead of three or four themes, we tried to express one big theme in our way.”
Prada and Simons are presenting a vision of fashion’s future. Great designers don’t merely respond to their era, they reflect and even predict its trajectory. The duo seems to advocate for a world where individuals can be the protagonists of their own lives and embrace diverse styles. As fashion surrenders to uninspired trends like ‘quiet luxury’ and the internet fosters homogeneous style, their message holds weight.
It’s a collection that encourages embracing individuality and challenging established norms. Wear a yellow windbreaker over a silver sequined dress, top a brown suede coat with a leather swimsuit, or pair a dressy skirt with a simple long-sleeved T-shirt. There’s no reason why fashion can’t be enjoyed freely. Prada and Simons have crafted a collection that empowers everyone to express themselves. “We are just proposing what is natural as human beings.”
