Prada Menswear F/W 2023.24 Milan

[LadyJunon]

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

She actually tends to do the polar opposite of what's trending more often than not.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

Caught the live stream just as it had finished, but I was thankful because I was able to skip through the collection when I noticed a constant look repeat was going to happen which was too frequent.

I don't think Raf is honestly contributing enough to really shift the Prada vernacular to something interesting. Since his arrival, the look of Prada has become cheaper with Raf being there. It isn't the right word, but the amount of poorly made sh*t they've put out since he's been there has been pretty noticeable. No wonder his brand went bust.

The pants are inexcusable. Reminds me of the awkward cuts Uniqlo would do with some of their more formal pieces and you had to be a particular shape to pull it off. Also can't stand the way they did the necklines on the puffer jacket pieces. So cheap and nasty seeing the orange lining wanting to poke out. There are some interesting things and great basics, and I am interested in seeing where it's going to go with the women's collection but it's a low bar.

Miuccia looked great. She always does.

 

[TaylorBinque]

It's their best collection no doubt but really though I don't feel like it's a complete contribution by both of them. This could make a good Prada collection with a touch of newer products. I see Raf touches in bombers and colors and boxy jackets. But that is it. Raf at Prada didn't make any impact as much as I hope. The products at the store are still not attractive. Price point is ridiculous at this point. Really nothing changes.

 

[Frederic01]

Personally I'm surprised at how minimal and refined this was. It was giving me Jil Sander by Raf vibes...

 

[disco54]

He will run this brand to the ground.

 

[ah ah]

This is why we will remember Milan this season. Love it.

 

[Nomar]

This is such a strong and sophisticated collection minus the oversized bombers and hooded jackets. It's definitely a bit repetitive in terms of silhouette but I've found that has been the case anyway since Raf joined. The colour palette is reminiscent of his Jil Sander tenure but I'm not mad about that because there's definitely potential.

I personally love the styling with the glimpses of bare chest showing in many of the looks, so sexy and chic.

 

[Phuel]

Seems like expectations are set at its lowest that the most basic of Prada staples is now inspiring LOL f I had to say something really positive:Thank goodness not a baggy, full-cut pant/jean in sight.

It’s fine enough as a commercial offering of classic Prada archival looks, I guess (…a few genuinely much-coveted jackets even…). But it's already been done so much better since S/S 1996— down to the color-palette of navy/camel and the classic lace-up round-toe oxfords (…will this campaign also copy the gorgeously stark B&W S/S 96 one with Tim Roth by Sims???). This time accented by the silly collar dickies, the ugly burrito-wrap coats… and Raf’s stubborn insistence on shoehorning his oversized MA-1 bomber just comes off so desperate. (His bombers is the Gretchen Weiner’s “fetch" of fashion.) It all feels like some desperate legacy popstar passed her prime finally dragging out her old hits in hopes of winning everyone back because no one cares for the new stuff :shrugs:

(BTW, the one constant since Raf joining the brand has been that it’s always the quintessential Miuccia-signatures that have been the better component of the fashions, while his has remained the worst. Business analytics can argue that the brand’s profit margins have been on the rise since he became a fixture of the brand, but that rise on a tangible sense has been because of the ridiculous markup all across Prada; a strategy and practice that’s prevalent in most mega-corporations, with short-term profit advantages to appease the shareholders, but uncertain sustainability for the longterm. Raf isn’t the golden ticket that rescued Prada.)

 

[GoldenTribe]

Are we supposed to be willing to pretend those hideous pointy Goodfellas shirt collar un are going to be a hit with anybody?


biography.com

I usually wish there were more decent tailoring in runway collections, but then Prada sends out a hundred suits and overcoats and somehow it all strikes me as bland at best (frankly I am tempted to use much more severe and negative adjectives).

Apparently everybody on this forum hates Kim Jones to death, but at Dior (N.B. more 2019-20 than 2012-23) he has done so many different things with suits and blazers (inside out, deconstructed, bedecked with zippers) that were so much more interesting and beautiful and desirable than anything here.

[EDIT: Sorry, the zippered blazer I was thinking of was by KVA before Jones's tenure, but I own one of the Spring 2020 blazers by KJ and it is truly sublime.]

And what is up with the flask bags? Anybody know if you can even put non-liquid items in them?

 

[style_expert]

It's decent but far from exciting. I'm glad they moved beyond the triangle/logo phase for now.
Prada used to have some sort of emotion, not every season but often it did. Now it's cold and without any seduction.

In particular the coats used to be spectacular in her fall/winter collections. The bomber jackets and duffle coats now? No thank you. Shoes and bags. Same, no thanks.
Not to mention ridiculous pricing for almost all categories.

 

[VogueDisciple93]

The totes with the flasks in them look so sleek until I saw the handles. They really couldn't make them completely leather?!

 

[GivenchyHomme]

This is the Prada collection we have all been waiting for. It's extremely slick and streamlined. I've been hoping and praying every season that he would bring back some of the sophistication from his Jil Sander days and he finally did it! It does feel like Raf took charge because there is cohesion amongst entire collection which has been nonexistent ever since collaboration began. It's a refreshing palette cleanser and I hope this continues into the womenswear. I would love to see something like Prada Fall 2001. Now would be the perfect time for a dramatic shift.

 

[LadyJunon]

This is the Prada collection we have all been waiting for. It's extremely slick and streamlined. I've been hoping and praying every season that he would bring back some of the sophistication from his Jil Sander days and he finally did it! It does feel like Raf took charge because there is cohesion amongst entire collection which has been nonexistent ever since collaboration began. It's a refreshing palette cleanser and I hope this continues into the womenswear. I would love to see something like Prada Fall 2001. Now would be the perfect time for a dramatic shift.

Restrained, minimalist, '97 - '03 Prada could actually be pulled off very well by Raf Simons, as long as he remembers that he's serving primarily a WORKING ADULT audience.