Prada is one of the most renowned Italian luxury fashion brands known for its high-quality leather and nylon products such as jackets, purses and footwear.
In this detailed article you’ll learn all there is about this brand and its three main lines.
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#1 – Introduction
The roots of company that’ll eventually become one of the most popular Italian fashion brands go back to 1913 when brothers Mario and Martino Prada opened a small leather goods shop called Fratelli Prada (Prada Brothers) in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan (the world’s oldest active shopping mall, a mecca for fashionistas today – seen in the picture below) that sold bags, trunks and travel accessories. Due to their excellent quality and attention to detail, their products quickly became popular with the Milanese aristocracy and Italian royalty, which awarded Fratelli Prada the prestigious warrant of “Official Supplier of the Italian Royal Household” in 1919. That warrant gave Fratelli Prada not only even more prestige, but also THE RIGHT to incorporate the royal (House of Savoy’s) coat of arms and knotted rope design into its triangle logo with which you, as well every fashionista, is certainly acquainted with 🙂 .
As the founder, Mario Prada, neared his well-deserved retirement (getting a royal warrant is a feat that’s not easily reached), he wanted to pass the torch to his son since he, as rumors on the Internet go, believed that women had no place in the workplace and should stay at home. Unfortunately for him, his son had some other plans, which forced Mario to pass the torch to his daughter Luisa instead in the early 50’s. Where his son ended up or what was his name is possibly a closed Prada family secret since I haven’t been able to find out what he did or even his name.
Under Luisa Prada’s leadership, Fratelli Prada (which changed its name to Prada) went through a period of stagnation during the 60s and early 70s – yes, their products were still good and popular as they ever were but nobody outside of Italy had ever heard about them. Fortunately, Prada’s fortunes drastically changed for the better when Miuccia Prada, Luisa’s daughter, joined the company in 1975 as its head designer.
At first glance, Miuccia Prada appears to be your stereotypical rich, good-for-nothing ignorant brat who will ruin everything she sees – she was a professional mime (OK…), has a Ph.D. in political science (a degree that’s even more worthless than my own business and int’l public law degree 😀 ) and was a member of the Italian Communist party (rich kids are very naive about and tend to join various extremist groups). But, once she started working in the real sector, she ditched all that and, together with her husband Patrizio Bertelli, set out to work by incorporating various types of nylons (which wasn’t used in the fashion industry at the time) into her designs. Patrizio, of course, didn’t sit idly by – being a leatherworker by trade (who opened his own shop when he was 22), he greatly contributed to the company by introducing a new business model in which he kept direct, internal control over all processes, applying uncompromised quality criteria across the entire production cycle.
In 1978, Prada released its first set of backpacks and totes that were made from a special water-resistant nylon designed and imagined by Prada called “Pocone”. Despite being a commercial hit, they didn’t sell as much as Prada had expected due to their price and Prada’s lack of international presence. In order to remedy that issue, Prada had begun to operate stores in prominent shopping districts in cities like Florence, Paris, Madrid, and New York City and to collaborate with various upscale department stores and boutiques worldwide (Bloomingdales, Saks Fifth Avenue, Neiman Marcus …). Because of this, their next set of backpacks and totes that was released in 1985, called Vela (candle, one of which can se seen in the picture below), became a HUGE HIT amongst the affluent and fashionable, transforming Prada into what it is today – a major player in the global fashion industry.
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#2 – Prada Lines
Prada Linea Rossa/Prada Sport
Unlike many other companies, Prada didn’t sit on its laurels but kept expanding its portfolio – it launched its first women’s footwear collection (1982), followed by women’s (1989) and men’s (1997) ready-to-wear collection, which further strengthened its position as a major player in the global fashion industry.
In order to appeal to different audiences, Prada established a diffusion line (Miu-Miu) and began making its products under two different lines – Prada Linea Rossa (also known as Prada Sport) and Prada (known as Prada mainline amongst fashionistas).
The main focus of Prada Linea Rossa (formerly known as Prada Sport) were younger men and women who prefer simplistic, futuristic and sportier styles. This line offered a wide range of ready-to-wear clothes, handbags, shoes, and accessories made from various artificial fabrics that aren’t normally used in the fashion industry (mil-spec nylon, parachute fabric and so on) and, more often than not, featured quirky and loud colors. This line was quite popular in the late 1990s but due to gradual deterioration of its quality, as well as increased competition from other brands, it quickly lost popularity and was discontinued in the early 2000s.
In the late 2000s (don’t know the exact year), Prada Linea Rossa was re-released. From what I’ve seen, products from that era (bags, jackets, pants and accessories) were made either from natural fur and leather (like the jacket I’m wearing in the picture below) or from various artificial fabrics (I own a pair of pants that’re made from some of the strongest polyester that I’ve seen in my life). Its main focus was the same as it was before – younger men and women who prefer simplistic, ,futuristic and sportier styles. Unfortunately, sales fell far short of expectations, which prompted Prada to discontinue the line in the early 2010s.
In 2018, Prada RE-re-released Prada Linea Rossa and, from what I’ve seen, it’s still out there. As far as their current offerings are concerned, they don’t seem to differ from those from the last two iterations. All in all, if you’re a fan of simplistic, futuristic and/or sportier styles, then offerings from this line might suit you!
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Prada Mainline
In contrast to the Prada Linea Rossa (whose focus are men and women who prefer more simplistic and futuristic designs), the main focus of the Prada Mainline are men and women who prefer elegant simplicity – that is, restrained, graceful, timeless and highly refined designs with little to no details like logos. This line offers a wide range of ready-to-wear clothes, handbags, shoes, and accessories that’re are made from some of the finest natural (saffiano leather) and artificial (nylon that is, due to special processes it went through, as fine as a silk) materials available.
If you’re a type of person who’s looking for high-quality offerings which embody the concept of elegant simplicity, then offerings from the Prada Mainline (as well as those from Giorgio Armani Black Label and Brunello Cuccinelli) are something worth of your consideration. On the other hand, if you prefer high-quality offerings that are more “fashion forward”, then Miu-Miu, which I’ll be covering in the next section, may pick your interest.
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Miu-Miu
Miu-Miu, named after Miuccia Prada’s family nickname, was established in 1993 as a more affordable and accessible line compared to Prada or, in other words, as its diffusion line. However, over time, Miu-Miu had evolved into a distinctive brand with its own identity, which combines Prada Mainline’s restrained, graceful, timeless and highly refined designs (elegant simplicity) with a playful and youthful spirit that incorporates bold colors, retro elements and quirky details. As you can see seen in the pictures below, Miuccia Prada (the founder and head designer) did helluva job!
Miu Miu offers a wide selection ready-to-wear women’s clothing, handbags, shoes, and accessories made from natural and artificial materials and sold in separate boutiques – you’ll never see a Miu-Miu item for sale in a Prada store.
Due to its unique designs, Miu-Miu is very popular among celebrities and fashion enthusiasts, and its runway shows are some of the most widely anticipated in the fashion industry today.
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#3 – Frequently Asked Questions
Is Prada a Good Brand?
Yes, Prada is considered to be one of the best Italian luxury fashion brands brand on the market right now. Products from all of is three lines have interesting designs and are made from some of the best materials available on the market.
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Is Prada Made in Italy?
Yes, the vast majority of Prada products are made in Italy where, according to Prada , 15 of its 18 factories are located. The other three are located in Great Britain, France and Romania.
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Are Prada Suits Good?
Yes, Prada suits are of decent quality. They come in two tiers – a cheaper, half-canvassed tier (made by Cantarelli) and a pricier, fully canvassed one (made by Belvest). Both of them are made in Italy and run small in size – in case you are in between sizes, go down to the nearest size.
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Are Prada Bags and Shoes Made in China and Vietnam?
Yes, a significant amount of Prada bags and shoes are made in China and Vietnam nowadays.
In order to lower their cost of production, Prada has outsourced some of its production to China – as of time of this writing, around 20% of all Prada products (the vast majority being various models of nylon bags and shoes) are made in China alone.
Due to ever increasing labor costs in China (not to mention political tensions between them and the collective West), many fashion companies (including Prada, of course) began moving their production to Bangladesh and Vietnam because the labor costs are much lower than in China and because there’s an already developed infrastructure that can support a large-scale production of clothing. The vast majority opted for the former, but Prada opted for the latter. Because of this, a significant number of Prada products (nylon bags, shoes and underwear) are made in Vietnam.
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Are Prada Products That’re Made Outside Italy of Inferior Quality?
No. Most Prada products that’re made outside of Italy (usually in China, Vietnam and various Eastern European countries) are of the same quality as its Italian-made counterparts because the contractors that make them have advanced machinery and are staffed by highly skilled artisans. Not to mention that Prada has a quite stringent quality control!
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Is Prada fur-free?
Yes, Prada has stopped using fur since 2020 and has partnered with the Fur Free Association, a coalition of more than 50 animal protection organizations.
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Who Currently Owns Prada?
As of time of this writing, the majority of Prada shares (80%) are owned by Prada Holding, which is owned and controlled by Miuccia Prada, Patrizio Bertelli (Miuccia’s son) and their close relatives. The rest (20%) are publicly traded on HKEX (Hong Kong Exchanges).
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Until next time.
Your man,
-Leon
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