Dear Miuccia,
I am a huge fan of your work. Seriously. But after your last show, I would like to take a moment here. I know you're really busy, that's why I'm writing you this letter. I will put it on my blog, so one of your assistants will be able to pick it up in Cyberspace: on Twitter, here, or on Facebook. You know, to keep it modern et all. I apologize for the lack of 3-D, because I actually couldn't find the button to add that...
Anyway, for the last two decades, you have been hailed as the creative and intellectual force behind Prada. A trendsetter, who's always ahead of the fashion curve, designing timeless, modern clothing with clean and feminine lines. Like every other brand, some collections were more successful than others. But what strikes me with your last collection, is that it's not the collection that's shocking ("50 shapes, Bardot ruffles, feminine silhouette, revisiting of PRADA's 1996 summer prints in darker shades, come on, it takes more to shock us Miuccia), it is the the way it's perceived. The comments after the show, how the fashion crowd just talks it into the box it belongs to: Prada = fashion forward = intellectual = rebellious = marvelous! And then the remark: waistlines are back! **
I mean, seriously, look at the times we live in, tough economical times, where people loose jobs, loose houses, are more aware of the environment, or at least are constantly reminded of it. Times, in which it seems, we're all trying to survive, instead of celebrating life "with cigars for breakfast" (Katy Grand), a collection, which embraces female voluptuousness by accentuating tight waistlines and breasts, seems somehow inappropriate, don't you think?
Why do you think, Marc Jacobs' collection was so well received? Because it perfectly reflects what women want today: wearable, unfussy clothes in earthy, basic tones. Cut for everyone: voluptuous, skinny, small, tall, every woman will be able to find a look that will fit. The collection was shown in such a sensible, almost poetic way, that it felt like the only step in fashion to make, for the world we live in today.
Burberry in London, another brand which showed comfortable but feminine clothes. Again, a female friendly collection, with stretchy dresses and skirts and an enormous choice of sublime aviator jackets or coats to wear it with. Compfy, casual chic. To me, they both are the two most fashion forward collections, making the perfect shift from the Parisian BBL (Balenciaga, Balmain, Lanvin), which reigned the last couple of years, to wearable, understated, feminine chic.
So, from an intellectual point of view, I don't quite understand, what you were up to? Or is it like, with Li Edelkoort, that it is actually a rubbish collection, because you were out of inspiration (completely acceptable), and just blurted something out, like "normal clothes" afterwards, and let the press do its thing. I mean normal? What's normal about heavy knitted cable skirts, which will make everyone over size 2 look enormous. And tight waistlines? Do we really want those, when we can choose from beautiful female friendly collections, which offer the opposite: gorgeous, wearable dresses, tunics and coats, in which we are actually able to breath.
I think, I can safely say, that women world wide, have something else in mind, than looking voluptuous, "foxy" and self conscious today. We actually want to work, help our husbands keep our houses, take care of our children, and yes, of course, we also want to look our best. But today, more then ever, it should be as effortless as can be...
So Miuccia, I'm sorry to say so, but I think you got it completely wrong this time.
Hoping to have fully informed you with this letter, I'm looking forward to seeing your next collection.
Kind Regards
Mademoiselle Perle
** CLICK HERE TO SEE THOSE COMMENTS:
http://www.style.com/fashionshows/video/F2010RTW-PRADA
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