The Magic of Miuccia and Raf

The Raf Simmons and Miuccia Prada collaboration was one that none of us saw coming, but one that we can all stand behind. After a rocky first womenswear collection last fall, the duo have finally seemed to find their footing, revealing a beautiful collection mixing staples from both of their brands and alluding to historical designs. The collection is a seamless blend of classic Prada and Raf styles, where Raf’s contributions are overtly seen and Miuccia’s are subtly shining through.

The inspiration for this collection, named Possible Feelins, was described as an, “intimate and personal desire for contact, from our need for exchange and relationship.” The collection featured the known Raf silhouettes and staple pieces, and highlighted the quieter colors, patterns, and styling that reflects the Prada brand. The first look dove into the subtle Prada notes, featuring a suit with rolled up sleeves and a patterned, second-skin top poking below- both of which scream Miuccia. The suit had a V-neck cut, a trend that carried throughout the collection, and showed a pastel purple knit underneath- a classic Prada color.

A majority of the rest of the collection, however, didn’t seem to scream Miuccia at all. At first glance it seems as though the design process may have been dominated by Raf but when you look a bit closer you notice the small details that allude to a greater concept which is exactly how Miuccia styles her collections and shows. The big, double-breasted coats and chunky bombers are Raf Simmon’s classics, resembling pieces from his work for Calvin Klein and Dior, but these looks maintain the Prada-esque inspiration of the collection. Most every look, regardless of how un-Prada it seemed, featured a pastel, delicate color or funky, unconventional pattern that we’ve seen at Prada forever. Miuccia has acknowledge that not all fashion needs to be pretty and that is exactly what we are seeing what some of these prints.

The outerwear displayed in the show as very Raf and also very wearable which was a good move. Given the state of the world and the fashion industry right now, products need to be selling to an audience beyond those who have a deep love for fashion; normal shoppers need to be buying these clothes as well and I think that will be achieved considering the simplicity and wearability of the clothes with their strong silhouettes and classic cuts.

This collection consisted of a lot of colorful, pattern knits, similar to what we have seen from Raf in the past. I personally am a major sweater girl and love seeing oversized knits dress up in high fashion collections. Gloves were another staple throughout the show, although they reflect inspiration from both designers. Raf’s leathers gloves for Calvin Klein and Miuccia’s sport wear collection for Prada are both seen in the pouch-lined gloves the models wore in this show.

One of my favorite styles from the collection was the colorful, oversized bombers. These jackets scream Raf Simmons and I love that Prada is incorporating this modern, street-style feel into their classic collections with the inclusion of Raf. The leather/nylon jackets (I cannot tell which) are just simply hot and a gorgeous staple piece that I cannot stop thinking about. Raf and Miuccia absolutely mastered the perfect bomber jacket. They were countered and emphasized exquisitely with the inclusion of the tight, formfitting bodysuits that clung to the models, dissimilar to how the outerwear pieces did.

Perhaps my favorite part of this collection was the least noticeable- the incorporation of the Prada logo (something that was never a major point for Miuccia). The logo’d buttons on the coats, logo’d pouches on the gloves, and logo’d bags were a more prominent nod to the brand. But, the upside down triangle on the back of the pieces, sat just below the neck, is the best approach to logo-ing I’ve ever seen- and I am obsessed. It almost establishes a sense of knowing and superiority for the brand and its fans. I mean, not everyone will be able to identify a Prada knit but I sure will. Raf may have drawn inspiration from Maison Margiela who was famously anti-logo and subtly branded his pieces with a simple stitching. It is clever, it is mature, it is everything that I love about fashion. It isn’t too branded and doesn’t concern the marketing aspect of the clothing, it just focuses on the the art and meaning of the collection. And that is what it is all about.

I could really go on about this collection for hours. The pastel sherpa coats. Bright, oversized button downs. Logo backpacks. Textured coats. Absolutely everything about this collection was beautiful and it was put together with evident genius. The minds of Miuccia and Raf came together and created a cohesive, subtly iconic collection that I will never get over. They were able to stay true to their brands and what they have developed individually, while simultaneously putting together a seamless, desirable collection that the general public will love. I will be able to die peacefully only after I own any piece of outerwear from the collection. Everyone say thank you to Miuccia Prada and Raf Simmons.