Mrs. Prada & her Accountant?

[buttermilk]

i dunno if this is the right place for this topic but anyway, when i went on a group tour to italy, our tour director mentioned something about Mrs. Prada fell in love with her accountant. Prior to this affair, this accountant was sued because of stealing lots of money from Prada. he was very honest to tell the court his fault so Mrs. Prada forgave him. they fell in love and got married. Mrs. Prada's 2nd husband, the accountant made the brand PRADA a big name!
is this true? hard to believe!

 

[PrinceOfCats]

Well you might call Patrizio Bertelli an accountant I guess...criminal would be more accurate though...

 

[liberty33r1b]

didn't know this...

 

[Spacemiu]

arn't they married?

 

[PrinceOfCats]

One day in 1978, at a trade fair in Milan, Prada met Bertelli. He owned a leather factory in Tuscany and was producing what she considered to be cheap knock-offs of her bags. He was belligerent, endlessly argumentative and as arrogant as any man she had ever met. They hit it off immediately. 'He had all these ideas about what I should do with my business,' she said, laughing. (By this time, her mother had persuaded her to take over the store.) He told her that she should have greater ambitions. She had her doubts, but gave him the exclusive licence to manufacture Prada leather goods. In 1987, after living together for eight years, they were married. 'He has been pushing me ever since,' she said, not unhappily. 'I wanted at first to do only bags. But the company - and by that I mean my husband - insisted I make shoes. And when I said no, he would say, "OK, we will do it without you." And I don't like that, so I had to do it myself. That became the system. He will say, "It's time to start a men's line" and I will say no. He would go and get somebody else to do it and I couldn't stand that, so I would take over.'

From the Observer 'Handbags and gladrags'.

 

[Incroyable]

Bertelli is to blame for Prada's decline in quality.

Which is why Jil Sander left the company the first time regarding various materials.

 

[macchiom]

Bertelli is to blame for Prada's decline in quality.

Well, if it wasn't for Bertelli, Prada would never have been what it is today. Without him, if the brand would still have been around, which in itself is doubtful, they would probably not even be making clothes at all…

 

[Incroyable]

Well, if it wasn't for Bertelli, Prada would never have been what it is today. Without him, if the brand would still have been around, which in itself is doubtful, they would probably not even be making clothes at all…

Prada used to have walrus skin luggage.

So I would imagine something like Goyard. Or perhaps more eclectic such as G.Lorenzi of Milan.

 

[linusrox]

When I was at the flea market in Rome a couple years ago, I saw a table of newer purses, and there was a black leather messenger bag that I didn't notice was slightly used (lining full of pencil or ink marks) . She said, oh - that...uh, that's a {postal workers'?} bag...10 euro. There were no markings but there was one 80s/90sish looking label reading, "Granello"...hm. Never heard of it.

Just yesterday, curious about the 80'sish looking label; it looked like such good quality...like belt leather. The link said "Prada has two lines, Miu Miu and Granello" Huh!

Anyone know anything else about it? Did they have a government uniform contract or something? Thanks!

 

[macchiom]

Prada used to have walrus skin luggage.

So I would imagine something like Goyard. Or perhaps more eclectic such as G.Lorenzi of Milan.

Perhaps, but from various interviews it seems that Miuccia needs Bertelli to motivate her and it would be quite sad if for example no Prada clothing lines existed, don’t you think? And even if she got the motivation it’s far from given that the company could have succeeded without the business mind of Bertelli.

 

[macchiom]

When I was at the flea market in Rome a couple years ago, I saw a table of newer purses, and there was a black leather messenger bag that I didn't notice was slightly used (lining full of pencil or ink marks) . She said, oh - that...uh, that's a {postal workers'?} bag...10 euro. There were no markings but there was one 80s/90sish looking label reading, "Granello"...hm. Never heard of it.

Just yesterday, curious about the 80'sish looking label; it looked like such good quality...like belt leather. The link said "Prada has two lines, Miu Miu and Granello" Huh!

Anyone know anything else about it? Did they have a government uniform contract or something? Thanks!

Granello was one of the companies originally founded by Bertelli before he met Miuccia.


I don’t know whether they ever had a government uniform contract though, but it seems quite likely...

 

[Incroyable]

Perhaps, but from various interviews it seems that Miuccia needs Bertelli to motivate her and it would be quite sad if for example no Prada clothing lines existed, don’t you think? And even if she got the motivation it’s far from given that the company could have succeeded without the business mind of Bertelli.

It's rather a dualistic arguement that. Based on presumptions.

Although I suppose at this point no one is terribly upset at Prada. Mind, not the Group but the label.

They acquired a bit too much with their binges at competing against LVMH. Their business model is flawed.

 

[lady grey]

prada

on the one hand, whatever business & cultural model gave us Prada, I am eternally grateful- she inspires like few designers since 1990.

on the other hand, walrus skin luggage? im about to puke.

 

[Incroyable]

on the one hand, whatever business & cultural model gave us Prada, I am eternally grateful- she inspires like few designers since 1990.

on the other hand, walrus skin luggage? im about to puke.

Well, it is the same idea as alligator/crocodile skinned items. As well as lizard, and any other expensive, and unusual organic material used for high end leather goods.

Like shagreen(fish-skin), and elephant skin. Asprey makes lovely shagreen items.

 

[clay]

With or without the clothing they were a established High end brand, I recently was looking at a Vogue from 85 and saw the store or something. So they were at least in the right realm to begin with.

 

[macchiom]

With or without the clothing they were a established High end brand, I recently was looking at a Vogue from 85 and saw the store or something. So they were at least in the right realm to begin with.

Of course they didn’t start from scratch. The first Prada store opened in Milan at the beginning of the 20th century. In 1985, however, Miccia and Bertelli had already worked together for years and, among other things, introduced the famous nylon products.