Miuccia Prada is no stranger to bright colors. For further proof, see the abundance of neons (especially the Flame heel redux) from fall ’18 or the countless seasons of sophisticated pastels she has offered through the years.
But for fall ‘20, Prada was decidedly more focused on neutrals — showing a women’s collection full of gray flannel, speckled tweed, black and camel wool and faux fur coats that were equally as alluring as their brighter counterparts of the past.
Both Gigi Hadid and Kaia Gerber walked the runway in grayscale looks. They wore tailored but roomy blazers and overcoats, along with thick gray tights that contrasted with pairs of strappy pumps done in white with a black strap (Gerber) and purple with white (Hadid). It was a simple shoe silhouette that added to the overall somber mood, one that might be indicative of fashion’s turn to something more serious.
Post-show notes confirmed that the designer was indeed thinking about more somber fashion for the upcoming season. “Progenitorial raiments of glamour and beauty serve as an aesthetic shorthand for typical definitions of femininity — synonymous with a softness, a fragility, a sensuality,” read the release. “Here those qualities are championed to be challenged, their reflection in visual rhetoric surrendering examples combined deliberately to contradict, undermine and propose new meaning. Paradoxically, delicacy can define strength.”
That delicacy could be found in the ladylike heels (a departure from the Riot Grrrl clompers of recent seasons) and also a mini capsule of colorful looks that included puffy leather belted jackets and skirts. They were punctuated with practical rubberized boots with a shearling lining.
