It had to be them. The suit has been buried with its ashes strewn in the wind and men’s fashion firmly guided by interpretations of formal or fancy outer and street wear. Traditional tailoring companies have been struggling and all looking for a new lease on life by bringing in fashion designers. Then come Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons who have been flexing their conceptual fashion muscle introducing skintight onesies with boxy knitwear of late and they bring back the classiest form of suiting. Their show on Sunday afternoon was opened by a series of gray single breasted, two button suits worn with white shirts and skinny ties and chunky cowboy boot derivates. No, there was no trompe l’oeil, it was as simple as that. “The collection is about simplicity as a concept, as a choice,” said Miuccia Prada in her show notes. There were also a lot of shorts, color-blocked knitwear with stripes and fantastic denim pieces. When has there ever been a Prada jeans?
Denim for Prada men’s S/S 2023
The new Prada man?
While Prada women’s shows have always been devilishly sexy and naughty, Miuccia’s men were more about quirky and nerdy chic. Simons and his deft use of leather, skin and shorts have brought a new sexually charged urgency to the clothes, which feels fresh.
Prada total leather look
Jonas Glöer sporting leather shorts
The special touch?
Masters in subtle messaging, the designers kept the lines clean but went playful with the usage of a red and white Vichy check in coats and shirts.
Prada’s take on the Vichy check
The art aspect?
Both designers are avid art collectors and friends with many influential curators like Francesco Bonami who sat front row. For this collection they took a page from the Biennale playbook by reducing archetypes of clothing like coats and jackets to their bare minimum. Let’s say they didn’t design but curate this collection taking from their own canon of tailoring. Of course, the silhouette being skinny, single breasted and taut.
Skinny silhouette
The set for Prada men’s S/S 2023
