 Miuccia PradaItalian fashion housePrada - The intelligence behind this cult label belongs to Muiccia Prada. Earlier this century Mario Prada (born in Milan, Italy in 1913) and his brother opened Fratelli Prada, two leather shops in Milan, Italy, in 1913, selling goods that were both locally crafted and also imported from all corners of the globe - fish skin from China, tortoiseshell and malacca wood from Indonesia and Malaysia, crystal from Bohemia and silver from England. Business was consistent but by the '70s, high-powered competitors like Gucci and Herm's had forced Prada into near-bankruptcy. It made little impact on the world of fashion until after Miuccia Prada took charge of her grandfather's company in 1978. Miuccia Bianchi Prada, inherited his sense of style and innovation, and by 1978, was designing top-quality leather goods for a contemporary market. Now, over two decades later, Miuccia Prada and her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, head a eight-hundred-million-dollar business. 
In 1989, Prada launched a ready-to-wear line, and the new label became as
well known for its high-quality clothing as for its exquisite leather
accessories. Miuccia Prada's first collection was a seemingly impossible contradiction: a minimalist reincarnation of the 1970s. We recognized the bell-bottoms and the peasant blouses, but they were stripped of hippy frou-frou and rendered in neutral shades. Since then, Prada boutiques have opened worldwide,
maintaining the company's reputation and distinctive style. The success of the flagship Prada line led the company to start the youth-targeted 'Miu Miu' line in 1992. There are other offshoots like 'Granello' and 'Prada Sport', and a lingerie line that was added in 1997, but Prada has developed surprisingly few licenses. We have as yet to see the Prada perfumed candles or what is certain to be cutting-edge Prada spectacles. History: Ready-to-wear added, 1989; launched Miu Miu line, 1992; first London boutique, 1994; opened Miu Miu shop in SoHo, New York, and Prada shops in San Francisco, New York, and Paris, 1996; bought stake in Gucci, 1998; introduced innerwear, cosmetics, home furnishings, athleticwear, 1998-99; resold Gucci to LVMH, and acquired stakes Helmut Lang, Church, and Jil Sander, 1999; teamed with LVMH to buy Fendi, 1999; formed partnership with Azzedine Alaïa, 2000; bought stake in Carshoe, sold Fendi stake to LVMH, 2001; postponed IPO indefinitely. Awards: Miuccia Prada named Footwear News Footwear Designer of the Year, 1996; Special Achievement award, National Italian American Foundation, 2000; Patirizio Bertelli given the Pitti Immagine Uomo award, 2001. Company Address: Via Andrea Maffei 2, 20135 Milan, Italy.
Waist Down: Skirts by Miuccia Prada | |