PYT: We Chat With Prada’s New It Girl
Some people get a driver's license when they turn 16, and others, like model Willow Hand, get to walk Prada in an acid green suit. “My agent scouted me when I was 12 and I’ve just been sitting around waiting to turn 16,” she said backstage at her “first show ever.” And how nice it is to have people like Miuccia standing by. The Florida native (hailing from outside Orlando) is certainly making waves in Milan by opening one of the fashion city’s biggest shows, but as to whether her friends back home in high school even know who the designer powerhouse is, Hand said innocently, “Not really!” The newbie remained calm, cool, and collected as editors and photographers snapped photos of her puffed-up ponytail and jeweled pin (some angling their lens within an inch or two of her face). “It’s what I’m here for,” she quipped, as I requested yet another shot with my iPhone. When asked what she thought of the buzzy environment, she replied: “It’s a little crazy, but I love it. I love all the excitement.” She’s also enjoyed the pasta while in town—ordering ravioli and tortellini when off duty. As for the flood of fresh faces this season, veteran pro Guido Palau (who pointed out Hand to me, introducing her as the “new Prada girl”) said, “I suppose in a way it makes something look new because you don’t have a reference to the girl.” For Fall ’15, pretty young things are ruling the scene and 16 never seemed so sweet.