Miuccia Prada expresses concerns on future of Italian Fashion Industry

[Chanelcouture09]

The head of iconic Italian brand Prada says she is worried that Italian fashion may become ‘second league’ and is wary of foreign investors buying into luxury brands.

‘With the sale of our luxury labels to foreigners, our entire system risks falling into second league,’ she said in a rare interview with Italian newspaper La Repubblica.

‘Because if our brands cross our borders, the credit, glamour, fame and decision making is in the hands of others, and we are abandoned, downgraded.’

The 63-year-old’s comments come after luxury Italian fashion house Valentino was bought by the Qatar royal family for £476m.

She also warns that luxury labels are leaving Milan and admits that she has chosen to preview her latest Miu Miu collection in the French capital because she is ‘looking for that attraction that is called glamour’.

‘Fashion goes elsewhere, looking for the best,’ she adds.

The outspoken designer, who is the youngest granddaughter of Prada founder Mario Prada, blames the Italian press for the problems, saying that the country’s newspapers aren’t supportive of the fashion industry, treating it in a ‘frivolous’ manner and not recognising how much employment and money it generates.

‘We live in a weak cultural world, we are a country that has never wanted or known how to protect and promote its immense landscape and artistic patrimony,’ she added.

Miuccia, who has a Ph.D in political science, is worried that outsiders consider Italy to have, ‘less resources, culture, protagonists, ideas, vitality and money’.

The designer was honoured at the Costume Institute at New York’s Metropolitan Museum of Art earlier this year, in a retrospective that paired her with the late iconoclast Elsa Schiaparelli.
Celebrities who came out to support her included Rihanna, Gwyneth Paltrow, Beyonce and Carey Mulligan.

*Dailymail.co.uk

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Another article regarding the topic of discussion...

The Fall Of Italy

MIUCCIA PRADA believes that Italy is in danger of losing its status as one of the fashion world's most influential countries.

"With the sale of our luxury labels to foreigners, our entire system risks falling into second league," she said. "If our brands cross the borders, the credit, glamour, fame and decision-making is in the hands of others and we are abandoned, downgraded."

The Prada creative director said that fashion talents are already leaving Italy to further their careers elsewhere. Most notably was the departure of Belgian designer Raf Simons from Jil Sander to head up Dior in April this year, where "his value will be further emphasised".

Despite its eponymous German founder, Jil Sander has been based in Italy since 1985 and shows at Milan Fashion Week. Prada criticised her country's government for its belief that fashion is just "frivolous".

"Fashion goes elsewhere, looking for the best," Prada told Italian newspaper La Repubblica. She herself decided to show her Miu Miu label in Paris rather than Milan after "looking for that attraction that is called glamour".

"We live in a weak cultural world, we are a country that has never wanted to know how to protect and promote its immense landscape and artistic patrimony," she said.

*Vogue.co.uk

 

[JustABoy]

She is not moving the Prada show. This article is sourced from WWD, and it merely notes that Miu Miu shows in Paris.

MIUCCIA SPEAKS: In a rare interview, Miuccia Prada spoke her mind in the columns of Friday’s La Repubblica on issues including fashion and politics.

While maintaining that Italy continues to be the best country in the world in terms of production, the designer cautioned against the dispersion of talent and brands. “With the sale of our luxury labels to foreigners, our entire system risks falling into second league,” said Prada, worried that companies and their workers could end up becoming mere contractors or manufacturers. “Because if our brands cross our borders, the credit, glamour, fame and decision making is in the hands of others, and we are abandoned, downgraded,” she remarked.

In fact, the designer believes that important creative talents have started to snub Italy and opt for Paris. “You can’t blame them,” she said, citing as an example Raf Simons, who was “already highly considered” when working at Jil Sander, but is now working for Dior in Paris, where “his value will further be emphasized.”

Prada partly blamed the media, accusing the Italian press of not taking fashion seriously, considering it “frivolous,” without realizing how relevant it is in terms of sales and employment. She also pointed a finger at intellectuals and left-leaning politicians, who “remain diffident toward wealth and glamour,” while money, she said, can actually help “organize art, culture and fashion.”

Made in Italy is no longer enough, according to the designer, as the impression outside Italy is that the country has “less resources, culture, protagonists, ideas, vitality and money,” and that being less attractive, “fashion goes elsewhere, looking for the best.” Prada admitted that she herself, “looking for that attraction that is called glamour,” has chosen Paris to show her Miu Miu line.

“We live in a weak cultural world, we are a country that has never wanted or known how to protect and promote its immense landscape and artistic patrimony,” she added.

 

[MulletProof]

Not to err on pedantry here but when you read "as she discusses the decision to show her label's next collection at Paris instead of Milan".. not only it sounds like it's a recent decision, but since Miu Miu is kind of her second line, the lack of specification implies it's the main line and then, it's rare reading an article where Miu Miu is still associated with its Milan presentations. So I feel like if anything the wording of the fantastic journalism over at the Daily Mail is mostly to blame for the confusion. When I read that and then read what followed that, I felt like she sounded like such a hypocrite.. knowing it's mere criticism (and a much needed one) sounds more congruent, and definitely closer to my perception of her (not completely ethical but just not as senseless!).

 

[Chanelcouture09]

Originally posted by Mistress f from ricerca.repubblica.it

Prada: Milan, careful fashion flees to Paris / Miuccia Prada 'Glamour Fashion says goodbye to Milan and moved to Paris'
THE BIG empty chatter that resonates in the temples of the Milan fashion shows already noisy, small jealousies, large barbs, autoesaltazioni, terrors and pomposity, Miuccia Prada never participates. He has much to say, but not at that time the work of months, the labor of months, the concentration of thoughts and ideas, becomes entertainment, gratification, concretae global image of a fantasy, a commitment to a vision. "Fashion is my job and do it with passion, but also the financial tool that allows me to devote time and effort to what has a lot to me, that is, the 'art and our Foundation. The fashion alone is not now able to assert itself, for it must move in a system of culture and 'art that functions in a social climate that will sustain it. But we live in a world cultural weakness, we are a country that has never wanted or been able to protect and promote its immense artistic heritage and landscape. " In this field you have any suggestions to give to those who right now has responsibilities not only political and financial, but also social and cultural fact? "I refuse to publicly express myself, because I seem to be allowed to speak only of fashion and the fashion of the money power of attorney. I protect my dignity as individuals expressing only suggestions, if I ask for them, being very careful not to make the 'commentator. I do not want to appear, put in the foreground, I do not even parades. I try to speak only of the topics that I knew well. For the rest it's intuition, as it is with the exhibitions at the Prada Foundation. I also have specific ideas, but for their professionalism and respect for the environment, the more I discuss with a group of persons of unquestioned professionalism. " Try comunquea his say, as if it were not listening to the "professors", but those always allowed to express and impose their thoughts duct. "I feel even the thought of a certain left and certain intellectuals a great distrust of wealth, glamor to that which now comes from money, power merchant also gives the money. I understand that, but the culture is organized with the money, and so the 'art and even fashion. For example, I would feel more guilty because instead of thinking of more serious problems in the world invest in shows for our Foundation, and work for the permanent space that will open in Milan in two years and for which we are working for a long time. But if wealth and the world revolves around the wealth is a sin, so that the left makes a true reflection of who wants to make political and cultural choice, and have the courage to do it: if you aim to develop, to 'Europe, the globalization, or another equally acceptable model of society, which should be dominant. And that to me is just fine. After all we already had the '68'. Returning to fashion, it seems that the storm of our country, should not be all bad. The global industry of 'clothing has touched 83.118 billion euros in 2011, almost 10 million more of' the previous year, it imported, but also exported more. Especially the leather sector, because of his great passion for women's handbags, grows and takes in a year, sales rose by 18.8%, the 'Import of' 11% 's exports by 30.4%. "The problem for us this is not Italian. L 'Italy is the country's number one manufacturing excellence, including the French and other international markets, but with the sale to foreigners of our luxury brands, fashion is all that our system is likely to become standard B, after being perhaps the first, and make our workers and our companies façonisti (producers for others) quality. Because if the pass marks the boundaries, the merit, the glamor, fame and make other decisions that count, we are being abandoned, substandard. In fact, the great creative coming from the most important schools, have begun to choose snobbarci and Paris. You can not blame them. For example, when Ralph Simons worked here, from Jil Sander, was already highly regarded, but going to Paris, Dior, its value will be further emphasized. Of this she blames in part the 'information? "It's a refrain. In Italy the press does not take us seriously, we use as a symbol of frivolity, there is always naked, erotic as a reminder, do not make an 'analysis of the deepest and best sense of fashion, which draws on the energies, any connection that creates with other worlds such as cinema, the 'architecture of' art, its vitality, as well as labor force that occupies and great sales it generates. Other industrial sectors are respected, our no, even when it works and it exports all over the world, and enriches the country. Still Made in Italy still has a weight in the world. "Made in Italy is no longer enough, is a concept of defense that only partially contributes to the success of a product. Also because the 'impression perceived to' foreign sistemapaese is that the whole is waning, have fewer resources, less culture, less players, fewer ideas, less vitality and less money. If a country loses its attractiveness, fashion goes elsewhere, look for the best, knows where they can be successful in the eyes of the world that matters. In search of that 'attraction that goes under the name of glamor, too' I chose Paris for the fashion collection of Miu Miu. " Yet there have been years in which to charm the shows in Milan coming from all over the world ecstatic. C 'was a very adventurous atmosphere, amazing, opulent, c' were the challenges Armani Versace, Prada-Ford, c 'were sophisticated parties, love of life, models of beauty never seen, an' idea of ​​wealth and leisure made the Italian fashion only, not to be missed. Times have changed much, has changed the 'Italy, have changed the world, fashion, models, Milan. Perhaps it is time for parades? "On the contrary: the shows are a key moment, F is increasingly crucial that reaches around the world live. They are a global spectacle, a moment of theater, increasingly expensive, increasingly impressive and imaginative. For now though this may only allow large financial groups that have taken possession of the luxury market, and then some very strong brand. But it is important that whenever there are new talents, youths better and better, who know how to renew, to surprise, excite as in the good years of our fashion. " How the Milan fashion shows, our fashion, could regain a kind of hegemony? "Not only are there no money, but you do not even know how to convince those who have them and they are many around the world to invest in cultural projects necessary for the vitality of fashion, who can not live in isolation but needs be part of an integrated system. It is difficult at this time to field ideas that attract, but it is only with the ideas that you can win. The ideas, willing, they cost too little, just put together the best curators d 'art, philosophers, sociologists, thinkers of every kind that, when they have the wealth of their intelligence and our immense artistic heritage, create surprises so disruptive as to make must be there. " It is true that as the Italians are missing from the lists of excellence in the overseas press, there are almost never in a hundred people who matter in various disciplines, not because it does not exist but because we forget, we are no longer interesting. But meanwhile, what could be done in Milan and not just for fashion? "For example, the Castello Sforzesco, which finally speaks, it is full of treasures unknown anchea many Milanese. Why do not we emphasize creating exhibits or other high-impact people who do not have to be at Disneyland and vulgar, but that might be interesting enough not to lose them? Many Italian intellectuals are right to be rigorous, reject any notion of commingling business to protect our heritage, maybe not like big numbers, and fear the general public. But if he refuses to ride this kind of modernity, if only marginally, then we must invent another attraction system more intelligent and sophisticated: we must at least try. The bells' alarms frastornano and now we should not waste time. "
NATALIA ASPESI

 

[Lee MG Tisci]

so it seems it was just a confusion.. it would've been completely contradictory and even selfish of her to move Prada to Paris while she's criticizing that the italian industry is being abandoned

she's absolutely entitled in demanding more protection and promotion by the government, but criticizing them and the press for calling fashion frivolous?? i think fashion will always be a frivolous thing, and Italia being in kind of a crisis i'm sure the government is concerned in more important things..
Miuccia even says that she took Miu Miu to Paris bc she was looking for glamour , that's not frivolous?
if she's so worried about the downgrade of Milan maybe she should bring Miu Miu there

 

[tatouejeremie]

so it seems it was just a confusion.. it would've been completely contradictory and even selfish of her to move Prada to Paris while she's criticizing that the italian industry is being abandoned

she's absolutely entitled in demanding more protection and promotion by the government, but criticizing them and the press for calling fashion frivolous?? i think fashion will always be a frivolous thing, and Italia being in kind of a crisis i'm sure the government is concerned in more important things..
Miuccia even says that she took Miu Miu to Paris bc she was looking for glamour , that's not frivolous?
if she's so worried about the downgrade of Milan maybe she should bring Miu Miu there

the worldwide fashion industry was worth $900 billion in 2010 which should be enough to be respected by governments and to not be called frivolous.

 

[Littleathquakes]

I agree with her. It's happening in the US too. despite some big names, all of the artistry and ideas are really being shown in Milan (but not all of of Milan, I'm looking at you D&G), London and Paris. The US is so commercial and the opposite is happening here - our industry is being supported for that.

 

[Lee MG Tisci]

^^ i didn't say fashion shouldn't be respected, what i understand as frivolous is something superficial and not really essential for people.. the minority has the money to spend in Prada or the rest of luxury brands and everybody can live without their clothes

 

[justaguy]

Interesting articles, chanelcouture09.

 

[MulletProof]

what i understand as frivolous is something superficial and not really essential for people.. the minority has the money to spend in Prada or the rest of luxury brands and everybody can live without their clothes

But not without clothes, and in the case of Italy, the garment industry still is essential for many people. Also, most of us in the rest of the world associate the finest quality of goods with Italy, even designers like Ann Demeulemeester, far away from the opulence and luxury brands like Prada or Gucci promote, still have parts of her collection made in Italy. For the Italian government/media to deem as frivolous an important part of their economic structure, not only it is irresponsible but it announces either the same lack of investment, but probably less. It's actually kind of stupid when you consider the benefits it could bring to their economy as a whole, especially in difficult crisis like the one they're going through.. and when you consider, like Prada mentioned, its heritage in Italian culture. They're sacrificing an important part of their history and economy just by mere politics.. it's actually the kind of mistake that's not easily reversed as, these days, it takes a lot to get a textile industry started (esp. when you have Chinese competition) and then the fashion industry just migrates to where the action is, if Italian manufacturing becomes obsolete (which is what the government is indirectly encouraging?), and there isn't any investment for its biggest ambassadors (brands like Prada, Gucci), you might as well focus on other capitals (New York-London-Paris), which is what editors have already been trying to push (Wintour).

As to whether fashion is superficial or not, that's debatable imo.. for a lot of people it is more than just escapism, it can be a genuine expression/outlet for creativity, their profession, real business.. I find the superficial accusation mostly comes from superficial people..

 

[Lee MG Tisci]

^ exactly, we all need clothes to live but i was talking about luxury brands.. an unemployed person going through the crisis that needs a coat or shoes probably won't go to Prada to buy them

and i know fashion is full of creative and talented people and that's why i love fashion myself, i'd also love to work in this industry someday but i'll know in advance that i won't be saving the world and i'll be doing it for my own contentment..

as i said before i think Miuccia is indeed entitled to demand things to her government but i'd say maybe it's bad timing..
anyway if the Milan designers step it up and create buzz by making amazing collections season after season they would be avoiding any problems more easily, imo they still have most of the responsibility.

 

[LabelWhore4]

^ I think MulletProof was saying that if the industry moves elsewhere jobs will eventually be lost and techniques that have been handed down for generations will be lost in Italy. To have your garments "Made in Italy" still has an outstanding and highly respected cache in the world of luxury goods. Many of these factories have been around for generations and this industry push could destroy that storied culture. This will have a negative effect on the Italian economy which the government seems to be blithely unaware of. I'd recommend everyone read "Deluxe: How luxury lost it luster" By Dana Thomas. It gives some amazingly intricate incite on the situation at hand.

 

[Tentacl Ventricl]

Interesting read thanx for posting.

But what the lazy fasho journos seemed to have missed, in not managing to get past para 2 (seemingly), is Miuccia's conclusion-

''Many Italian intellectuals are right to be rigorous, reject any notion of commingling business to protect our heritage, maybe not like big numbers, and fear the general public. But if he refuses to ride this kind of modernity, if only marginally, then we must invent another attraction system more intelligent and sophisticated: we must at least try. The bells' alarms frastornano and now we should not waste time. "

Now, dearest Miuccia is very clever of course and if in cynical vein one could say she sounds off as a tactical businesswoman - Valentino will be downgraded by the foreign investment. More relative kudos to brand Prada therefore. She'll speak for that. At this time. Then cover it over with a word to her intellectual/artistic community in conclusion.

But, setting aside commercial concerns and looking to legacy, Miuccia's must surely be that she, more than any other designer in history, has fused art and intellectual life into fashion's sphere. The will to gravitas is to be applauded. Without Miuccia fashion would rightly be seen as more frivolous.

Whilst Baudrillard saw fashion's frivolity as it's great strength (against all the pedestrian bean-counters and worthies of rational calculation), of course he himself was not entirely frivolous. Prada; with Baudrillard, Barthes and Benjamin (just to do some B's); has brought intellect to fashion (albeit from a different standpoint, a more engaged position from that of the philosophers).

Still, I'm not quite sure what Miuccia is precisely getting at with this new 'attraction system' she speaks of but it sounds very interesting. For sure the status quo needs an effing big shake. Reading the SS12 buyer reports again one thing that needs to happen is that the luxury market's target consumer needs to be 20 to 40 years younger than sometimes it seems to be. Big money ossifies. Big money plays the safe line. Which is it's risk. And our opportunity. All too much of what we see on runways has no sociological significance, none. Which, if I say it better, is just to say it's irrelevant to the way fashion is lived. Eastern money can only widen that gap. I'm afraid they don't get it - fashion. Only money. And capital, now, is coming to be seen as death walking. As per the title of one of Kundera's early novels - Life is Elsewhere. And to quote from the same text 'revolution and youth are a pair'. Long live your youthfulness dear Miuccia. And perhaps for SS13 you will be in edgy, youthful, mood? and speak to us deeply, lead the way.

 

[Littleathquakes]

i have no idea what you just wrote.