Prada Menswear F/W 2023.24 Milan

[Frederic01]

PRADA

 

[Olaffo]

Finally someone get the job done. My fav Prada & Simons collection up to date: we have bags, we have pragmatic, minimalistic I dare to say approach, we have clothes not costumes. Obviously it is heavily inspired by Prada Fall 2011 but I'd rather have strong pradasque inspiration than "new, fresh, modern" bullsh*t by Raf.

Speaking of...I'd burned the mid part of the collection bc one more oversized bomber jacket with orange lining and I'll throw up, I swear.

 

[THD96]

My first impression, too many of the same looks, they can edit out half of the collection, because I'm already tired of a parade of big shoulders, and boxy, oversized coats.

Where are the prints? This house is built on Miuccia for her taste in prints.
Everything looks so cold and sterile without the usual Prada charms.

Raf closed his brand and now he can focus on turning Prada into a diluted Raf Simons 2.0. Thanks for ruining Prada for me.

 

[Lola701]

I feel like RAF’s only contribution to Prada’s legacy is bomber jackets…
That being said, this is probably their best collection ever. Very focused, it has a pov, there were some ideas that went beyond putting a triangle logo.
A bit repetitive and a new print would have been welcomed.
It definitely got me excited for the Womenswear…

I got one question tho: are there still men outside of 18 years old models that can fit in those pants? I found the cropped, skinny with high waist pants quite unforgiving for anybody…

 

[GivenchyAddict]

Love this collection. May go shopping Prada again I guess. My issue is : will I fit in these trousers ? ​

 

[RaisinBoy]

Love this collection. May go shopping Prada again I guess. My issue is : will I fit in these trousers ? ​

Nope.

Now for the collection itself. The runway was too repetitive, but there were some interesting propositions that pushed the boundaries of what is the "Prada man". And for me, this is their first collection to strive to do so. Still, this doesn't feel like "my Prada" anymore, the one I love(d), but credit where credit is due.

To me, this looks like a continuation of Miuccia's men's collections from 2008/2009, but obviously much more commercial and less designed in terms of material research, textures, and creativity. But whatever, I gave up on finding these in fashion nowadays anyway.

From someone who used to buy a lot of RTW from Prada in the past, there is nothing for me here, perhaps with the exception of the leather shoes – but with their price points today, they'll be 1000 €+, so that's a hard pass.

Still, I appreciate what they were trying to do, even if it completely misses the mark with how I perceive Prada and clothing in general. But it's nice to see them trying to push – and control, at the same time – their taste levels.

 

[vetements]

Finally a Prada collection in recent memory that is high quality design, although I definitely see more Raf than Miuccia here, with his obsession for skinny youths, the shapes, the colors, and the oversized silhouettes.

But my concern is whilst it all looks great, I am not sure if the average customer will look good in those exaggerated collars, rounded huge out wear, super skinny trousers, skirts etc. and the other more regular coats you can get from many other brands, doesn’t have to be Prada.

The accessories like the big asymmetric and small bags also look great, vs the big triangular shaped bags now at the shops.

Also, happy to see they are not placing Prada logos on everything at least.

 

[LadyJunon]

While I really like Miuccia and Raf's joined collections, there are recurring issues I have with them:
• The repetitiveness of silhouettes makes each show feel longer than it truly is, especially in their Menswear shows, where there can be twelve grey suits walking one after another. While this weakness isn't really new to Miuccia or Raf, it's emphasised by their collaboration. This problem could simply be solved by axing ⅓ of the looks.
• The dependance on boxy silhouettes doesn't help the repetitiveness. While neither Miuccia or Raf are "master technicians", they've had the support of
Pavesi and Zambernardi, for Miuccia, and Mulier and Blazy, for Raf who often often helped with their accomplishments. They need to hire a design director with very strong technical skills to act as an invisible third creative director to push their vision forward.
• The overly young styling (mostly on the Menswear side) doesn't make sense for Prada, which was always geared towards indisputably adult audience, which could be a strength in today's young obsessed fashion climate.
• The lack of humour, fun or perversion makes Prada feel too conservative. I've always considered Prada to be a modern-day Schiaparelli in the way that both Elsa and Miuccia have a delightfully f*cked-up way of seeing and dressing high society. Raf needs to learn how to get on that wavelength.

 

[RaisinBoy]

One last note: looking at the photos again, I really miss the warmth Miuccia would put in her collections. Even when she went cold af, the collection was never clinical and rather playful, whimsical, and perverted. This Raf's obssession with a "clean" look always results in no emotions. And what's fashion other than emotions, eh?

 

[bc collector]

It was a sobering moment. Getting rid of most of the oversize s**t that has polluted the visual vocabulary of the brand in recent years. Even the mid-section, with the bomber jackets and puffed vests, was more sculptural and neat-lined than usual. And I am all up for it.
It felt quintessentially Prada, with more than a whiff of the first menswear collections in the late '90's: the silhouettes and proportions were practically the same.
Again, for me it's not a bad thing.

 

[Lola701]

Love this collection. May go shopping Prada again I guess. My issue is : will I fit in these trousers ? ​

I actually think it’s a great collection to be inspired by. Those pants won’t look good on anybody…Not on the Prada’s spokesperson and even neither on influencers. You should get the shoes tho.

I love the white supersized bombers and kind of white duvet situation. And I think the styling tricks of a collar popping out of a Cardigan can work (not bare chest tho).

 

[GivenchyAddict]

^The white silhouettes were taken directly from Helmut Lang so I am heavily into them.

But you may be right about these trousers…

 

[Urban Stylin]

Alittle too monotonous but still enjoyed it more than many f the previous ones. Only think I didnt like were those puffer pillow like jackets and super skinny pants which I've never really liked.

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[Overindulgence]

A solid and cohesive collection from Miuccia and Raf. It's a collection that finally feels a bit pre-2013 Prada. There's still some styling gimmicks here and there to amp up the quirk level but it's moderate this time around. There are a few outerwear pieces and shoes that I would love to have, if I could afford them.

Between the recent S/S '23 campaign and this show, it seems that Prada is trying to regain the more minimal, adult/sophisticated look they were once known for (at least image-wise, I'm sure the items in the stores are still heavily-branded merch). I'm looking forward to the womenswear F/W '23 collection, they seem to be on the right path. Also, love both Miuccia and Raf's outfits.

 

[Lola701]

love both Miuccia and Raf's outfits.

Talking about that, I find it so weird that that personable mystique of Prada is gone with Raf.
What I have always loved about Prada was that Miuccia wore her stuff and even when didn’t wear it, I never doubt that she would wear it.
Now we are seeing a menswear collection and I cannot see Raf in those trousers..

No matter how skinny the silhouettes of Hedi are for example, I’m sure he will find a way to squize himself into it. Raf in those trousers…

^The white silhouettes were taken directly from Helmut Lang so I am heavily into them.

But you may be right about these trousers…

Maybe the saddest thing of RAF’s contribution to Prada from a « fashion references » point of view is how obvious it is. Prada has always had some kind of obscur YSL or Cardin references. Now we get the basic references from Margiela and Helmut Lang…
I mean the irony of having Helmut Lang looks on a Prada runway is on another level…

I was naive enough to think that someone who has always been so vocal about the love of a designer has such a surfaced level approach to the legacy he is working with.

It’s definitely a good collection but I still stand on the fact that Raf is not pushing Prada forward and I I’m not sure that the house would flourish under his sole creative direction.

 

[LadyJunon]

Maybe the saddest thing of RAF’s contribution to Prada from a « fashion references » point of view is how obvious it is. Prada has always had some kind of obscur YSL or Cardin references. Now we get the basic references from Margiela and Helmut Lang…
I mean the irony of having Helmut Lang looks on a Prada runway is on another level…

I was naive enough to think that someone who has always been so vocal about the love of a designer has such a surfaced level approach to the legacy he is working with.

It’s definitely a good collection but I still stand on the fact that Raf is not pushing Prada forward and I I’m not sure that the house would flourish under his sole creative direction.

Exactly. Raf Simons really has the challenge of making Prada flourish again with a directional vision, while lifting it out off the financial slump it's been stuck in for the last decade. That's not an easy task.

 

[perhydrol]

This collection is surprisingly good, but there's a serious need of editing. The repeatability of the same looks has been one of the biggest issues of Prada for me and here it drags a solid offering down. Even all the obvious references to Lang and Margiela are not as problematic as seeing the same look all over again. That said, the accessories are great and I'm pretty sure it will sell well. I'm also quite excited for the womenswear show and I'd never expect that.

 

[jeanclaude]

Following trends is not in Prada DNA. Raf is unable to understand this simple fact.