Playing with archetypes is the secret sauce of a Prada show. So, layering two jackets, two different colored puffers or putting a pajama jacket under a coat are standard riffs here. A recent thread in the company’s men’s shows has been a heavy outdoor element with rough scuffed leathers and hybrid barn jackets or parkas which culminated in a fur heavy collection to brave the elements this time around. Knitwear embraced by fur shells, fur lined coats and fur hats were a leitmotiv for this new runway outing which also saw lots of odd leather patchwork moments. Of course, Prada uses fake fur as the company has prohibited animal fur since 2020. But ultimately this show felt a bit flat and short on new ideas with a very young casting and an uncomfortable super tight silhouette plus many nude torsos. There was a Brokeback Mountain element with two tone Western piping on knitwear and hinted smile pockets juxtaposed with minimal techno rave outfits as in skinny jeans and micro-T-shirts with floral motifs which deftly clashed to give the show an irreverent tension. And while we are at that, add a few mismatched Madras coats and shirts to the mix to add a summery twist to a winter collection and we’re in Prada mode.

While Miuccia Prada is known to decide things at the last minute on a whim, Raf Simons is an obsessive planer who loves to sink into details. Case in point: The tight pants over cowboy boots which effectively glued boot end and pant hem together for an uncomfortable but intended look. Fashion for a fashion show.

The oversized boxy knitwear worn over striped silk pyjama like pants rocked hard. The undercurrent rave gear vibe was best exemplified here.