Fashion Definitions — fashion history, brands and industry terms from Apparel Search
Prada, SpA is an Italian fashion company with retail outlets worldwide, originally known as Fratelli Prada and founded in 1913 by Mario Prada. In 1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was still a leather goods business and led the company's expansion into haute couture.
The company, originally known in Italian as Fratelli Prada ("Prada Brothers"), was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada. In 1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was still a leather goods business from her mother, and led the company's expansion into haute couture.
Miuccia first gained her reputation for creative use of materials and simple, modern lines with her 1985 line of sleek black handbags made from parachute nylon. These novel, high-priced bags quickly became widely sought-after, and spawned a global industry of counterfeit Prada goods.
Prada's first Pret-a-porter, or "ready-to-wear" collection was designed by Miuccia Prada in the autumn/winter season of 1989. The collection's plain, modern lines were a stark contrast to other labels' flamboyant, sexual designs, and fueled a sharp rise in Prada's popularity.
In addition to the original Prada line, the company introduced the Miu Miu collection, a lower-priced line aimed at a younger audience, in 1992. The Miu Miu line, which shares Miuccia Prada's nickname, emphasizes earthy colors and a less haute couture look, evoking an overall more bohemian style. In its advertising campaigns, waif-like models in "home photo" poses further the look. Miu Miu clothing is often simple, and evokes a continual image of high-end vintage items. It was followed by the Prada Sport collection.
Prada rose to fashion primacy in the early 1990s on a look epitomized by thick, square glasses and garish colors known as "Prada Ugly." Prada takes a decidedly -- and consciously -- intellectual approach to fashion. The look of the early 2000's has been described as that of a "chic neo-fascist army" by the New York Times. Other critics have described Prada's look by comparing it to Gucci's: While the Gucci girl is swigging shots of tequila in the back of a nightclub wearing a miniskirt and halter top, the Prada girl is reading Proust in a cafe.
Prada won a Council of Fashion Designers of America International Award for accessories in 1993.
Although Prada remains the pinnacle of contemporary fashion following Tom Ford's retirement -- in 2004 Vogue Editor-in-Chief Anna Wintour is said to have told Miuccia Prada that she was "the only reason anyone comes to Milan" for runway shows -- it continues to derive the overwhelming bulk of its revenues from its original leather goods business, the sale of shoes and handbags.
Following lead in other companies in a popular trend of large labels to absorb as many other fashion houses as possible, Prada took on large debts to take on the financially floundering Rome-based house of Fendi in the early 1990s. Prada shared shares in Fendi with the Louis Vuitton Moet Hennesy (LVMH) company. Prada was unable to turn around/support the money-losing Fendi label, and sold its Fendi shares to LVMH. Prada is still to recover from this debt. The only brand to avoid the pitfalls of forming a large luxury label company is that of Giorgio Armani.
Other labels within the Prada Group corporate umbrella include Helmut Lang and Jil Sander.
In The Family Guy, Meg felt left out because she had an ugly purse. Her parents wouldn't give her the $1100 needed to buy a Prada, so she got a job to buy one herself. In this episode, the Prada bag is seen as a status symbol.
Lauren Weisberger titled her bestselling 2003
roman
clef purportedly about her onetime boss, Anna Wintour,
The Devil Wears Prada.
Prada has commissioned international architects, most notably Rem Koolhaas and Herzog & de Meuron, to design flagship stores in various locations, both as a marketing and branding concept as well as a differentiating feature.
In 2005, near the West Texas towns of Valentine and Marfa, a pair of Scandanavian artists, Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset, unveiled Prada Marfa, a sculpture masquerading as a Prada mini-botique. Located along an isolated stretch of U.S. Highway 90, the 15 by 25-foot adobe and stucco building was partially funded by the Prada Foundation.
| The above article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/prada 1/8/06 |
Designer Definition (from U.S Department of Labor)
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From Fratelli Prada Leather Goods to MiucciaPrada began in 1913 as Fratelli Prada — Prada Brothers — founded by Mario Prada, and it remained a leather goods business for most of its history. The turning point was generational: in 1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was still a leather goods business from her mother, and led the company's expansion into haute couture. Miuccia first gained her reputation for creative use of materials and simple, modern lines with her 1985 line of sleek black handbags made from parachute nylon. Parachute nylon is an industrial material, and using it for a high-priced handbag inverted the usual luxury logic in which value is signalled by a precious material; here the value lay in the design treatment of an ordinary one. These novel bags quickly became widely sought-after and spawned a global industry of counterfeit Prada goods. Ready-to-Wear, Miu Miu and an Intellectual ReputationPrada's first ready-to-wear collection was designed by Miuccia Prada for the autumn and winter season of 1989, and its plain, modern lines were a stark contrast to other labels' flamboyant, sexual designs, fuelling a sharp rise in Prada's popularity. In 1992 the company introduced Miu Miu, a lower-priced line aimed at a younger audience, which shares Miuccia Prada's nickname, emphasises earthy colors and a less haute couture look, and was followed by the Prada Sport collection. Prada takes a consciously intellectual approach to fashion, and won a Council of Fashion Designers of America International Award for accessories in 1993. Yet it continues to derive the overwhelming bulk of its revenues from its original leather goods business, the sale of shoes and handbags — the 1913 trade still paying for the couture house built on top of it. Debt, Fendi and Architect-Designed StoresFollowing the popular trend of large labels absorbing other fashion houses, Prada took on large debts to take on the financially floundering Rome-based house of Fendi in the early 1990s, sharing Fendi shares with LVMH. Prada was unable to turn around the money-losing Fendi label and sold its Fendi shares to LVMH, and Prada is still to recover from this debt. Other labels within the Prada Group umbrella include Helmut Lang and Jil Sander. Beyond the tailored garment, Prada has commissioned international architects, most notably Rem Koolhaas and Herzog and de Meuron, to design flagship stores in various locations, both as a marketing and branding concept and as a differentiating feature — an approach consistent with the house's intellectual positioning, applied to its shops as well as its clothes. Common QuestionsWho founded Prada and who transformed it?The company, originally known in Italian as Fratelli Prada, or Prada Brothers, was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada. In 1978, Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada inherited what was still a leather goods business from her mother, and led the company's expansion into haute couture. What made Miuccia Prada's name?Miuccia first gained her reputation for creative use of materials and simple, modern lines with her 1985 line of sleek black handbags made from parachute nylon. These novel, high-priced bags became widely sought-after and spawned a global industry of counterfeit Prada goods. What is Miu Miu?In addition to the original Prada line, the company introduced the Miu Miu collection, a lower-priced line aimed at a younger audience, in 1992. The line shares Miuccia Prada's nickname and emphasises earthy colors and a less haute couture look. More to Explore
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