Prada
WHAT IS PRADA?
Prada is one of the oldest and largest luxury fashion houses, founded in 1913 by Mario Prada in Milan, Italy. Similarly to other historic fashion houses, the Italian clothing brand started out as a shop (in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II) selling leather goods, which now designs and manufactures high-end ready-to-wear clothing, leather bags, footwear, and perfumes.
Since 1978, the fashion house has been led by Mario Prada’s granddaughter, Miuccia Prada (Maria Bianchi), who brought Prada to relevance and made it the internationally known luxury brand we now know.
Today, Prada is sold in over 70 countries via more than 635 physical stores and online shops, as well as department stores worldwide. The family-owned Prada group has labels like Miu Miu, Church’s, and Prada Luna Rossa under its helm.
April 2020 marked a new creative era for Prada when for the first time, the sole head designer Miuccia Prada appointed Belgian designer Raf Simons to work along her as a co-creative director with equal creative input.
WHEN WAS PRADA FOUNDED?
Prada was founded in 1913, in Milan, Italy.
IS PRADA ITALIAN?
Yes, Prada is an Italian luxury clothing brand that was established in Milan, Italy, in 1913.
WHO OWNS PRADA?
Prada is owned by The Prada Group (Prada S.p.A.) currently led by Miuccia Prada, the granddaughter of Prada’s founder Mario Prada, and her husband, Patrizio Bertelli.
Even though Prada is listed and publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (20%), the majority of 80% is still owned by Prada Holding S.p.A., which allows the luxury fashion house to maintain creative control over its design.
WHAT IS PRADA KNOWN FOR?
Prada’s most iconic designs include Prada nylon bags and Prada Bowler bags — cult items of the Y2K style of the 2000s, spotted on celebrities Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Kim Kardashian. Prada’s iconic trademarks — nylon fabric and the metal triangle Prada logo — are still a common theme in its collections, from Prada tank tops to bucket hats to jackets.
Classic designs like the Prada crossbody bag and Prada Saffiano are popular to this day, whereas perfumes Prada Candy for women and Prada Luna Rossa for men, launched in 2004 and 2006, respectively, have been favored ever since.
WHAT DOES PRADA MEAN?
Prada is a luxury fashion brand that got its name from its founder, Mario Prada.
HOW TO CLEAN A PRADA NYLON BAG?
The best way to clean your Prada bag is to use a cloth and a mix of soap and water to remove any stains. Even though your Prada nylon bag will most likely survive a trip to the washing machine, it is safer to use a cloth and dish soap to avoid any damage.
As the first step, apply some pressure to gently remove any stains; avoid the leather parts, such as the handles, as these aren’t waterproof. Most Prada nylon bags come with a nylon lining; if that is the case, you can repeat the same process with the inner fabric layer.
After cleaning your bag with a cloth and soap, leave it to dry naturally; don’t use a hairdryer or put it on an electric heater, as this can damage the bag, and don’t leave it in the sun; it can cause the color to fade.
HOW TO TELL IF A PRADA BAG IS REAL?
The most important detail to check when checking if your Prada bag is real is its logo and the overall quality and craftsmanship. Make sure that both the triangle metal Prada logo, as well as the writing on it, is completely straight and reads: Prada, Milano, Dal 1913, and that the color of the logo is the same as the color of the bag itself.
DO PRADA SHOES RUN SMALL?
Prada shoes run mostly true to the size; however, it completely depends on the type of shoes you want to purchase. Prada footwear includes everything from sneakers to heels to sandals and boots, so it is hard to have one unified answer. But, the general consensus seems that Prada boots and loafers tend to run large. In contrast, Prada heels run small or narrow, and Prada sneakers are mostly true to their size.
Either way, buying shoes online can be tricky, so I recommend going to the store to try them on for the perfect fit. Moreover, compare the sizing chart provided on Prada’s website, as the difference can also come from the sizing translation between the E.U. and U.S.
IS PRADA CHEAPER IN ITALY?
Prada tends to be cheaper in Italy, as, more often than not, products in the country of origin come at better prices due to lower operational costs, and Prada is based in Italy. As an example, let’s look at some of the most iconic Prada designs.
Starting with footwear, the Prada America’s Cup Original Sneaker costs €670 when bought via the Prada e-commerce store in Italy, whereas the same pair, when purchased via the U.S. website, is $925, which comes to roughly €946, as of October 2022.
And are Prada bags cheaper in Italy? Yes, it seems to be — whereas the iconic Prada Nylon bag re-edition 2000 comes at €890 in Italy, the exact same bag retails at $1,250 in Prada’s U.S. online store, which is roughly €1278 (as of October 2022). So, if you or your friends and family are planning a trip across the pond, I recommend buying Prada locally.
WHERE CAN I BUY PRADA?
You can buy Prada directly at Prada’s online shop.
1913
Mario Prada, with his brother Martino, set up the first Prada shop in Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II in Milan, Italy, as “Fratelli Prada” (Prada Brothers), selling luxury leather goods.
It is speculated that Prada’s iconic handbag, Prada Saffiano, popular to this day, was designed in the same year.
1919
Prada was appointed as the Official Supplier of the Italian Royal House, the brand’s trademark – a House of Savoy coat of arms and knot rope design was added to the logo.
1958
Mario Prada’s daughter Luisa Prada took over and ran the shop for nearly 20 years.
1970
Miuccia Prada (Maria Bianchi), Luisa Prada’s daughter and Mario Prada’s granddaughter, joined the family business managing one of its two remaining shops.
1977
Miuccia Prada met her soon-to-be husband and co-CEO of Prada, Patrizio Bertelli, at a trade fair where he was selling fake Prada goods.
1978
Miuccia Prada took over from her mother, Luisa Prada, as the new head of the company, which by then had only one store and was losing relevance among luxury brands.
She appoints Patrizio Bertelli as the co-CEO, with Bertelli on the business side and Miuccia Prada in charge of the creative direction.
1979
Miuccia Prada launched a new handbags line made out of Pocono nylon – later used in making the iconic Prada nylon handbags.
Though the line wasn’t successful at first (nylon was much cheaper than leather or silk and not considered a luxury fabric), the trend caught on 10 years later, becoming the innovation Prada needed.
1983
Under the lead of Miuccia Prada Patrizio Bertelli, Prada started expanding and opening additional stores.
1984
The new “I.T. bag” — the Prada nylon backpack — is developed by Miuccia Prada. It features the brand’s new trademark – a triangular metal Prada logo.
1985
Miuccia launched the Prada nylon handbags line featuring chain straps and the signature metal triangle Prada logo, which became popular among celebrities, including model Jerry Hall.
1988
Miuccia Prada debuted her first-ever ready-to-wear clothing line in Fall/Winter88 in Milan.
The womenswear collection used nylon throughout, featuring loosely fit parkas in basic colors, trousers, and suiting — challenging the overtly “sexy” standards common in women’s fashion at the time.
1992
Prada launched its first perfume line and started a new, more affordable luxury brand, Miu Miu.
1995
In 1995, actress Uma Thurman wore a Prada gown to the Academy Awards, which increased the brand’s international recognition.
The Prada menswear line was introduced in FW95, designed by Neil Barrett; it had nylon as the recurring theme – workwear mixed with utility and luxury.
Prada casts actor John Malkovich as the face of the Prada men SS95 campaign.
1996
Young supermodels Kate Moss, Naomi, Linda Evangelista, and Carla Bruni, became Prada’s runway regulars.
Prada Holding S.P.A. was formally created.
Joaquin Phoenix was cast as the new face of Prada, starting a long list of cult actors to feature in the brand’s campaig
1997
Prada C.E.O. Patrizio Bertelli forms Prada Luna Rossa Challenge, an Italian sailing team, and boat, to compete in the 2000 America’s Cup.
The iconic Prada America’s Cup sneaker was designed specifically for the Luna Rossa Challenge team.
1998
Prada created a new sub-label Prada Sport, later renamed to Linea Rossa (Red Line), which came to define athletic leisure — athleisure — paving the way to luxury streetwear using technical fabrics like nylon.
1999
Prada acquired Helmut Lang, Jil Sander, and Fendi.
Neil Barret, who pioneered Prada’s high performance “athletic leisure” wear, left the company. Prada Sports continues to thrive on the back of its success.
2000
The iconic Prada Tessuto nylon bag and the Prada Bowler bag, came out. Both designs shaped the noughties Y2K style, worn by the likes of Heidi Klum, Kourtney Kardashian, and Bella Hadid.
The brand also launched its first Prada eyewear collection, including sunglasses.
2001
Prada sold a large portion of Fendi shares to LVMH due to profitability issues.
2002
Prada opened its first U.S. headquarters in New York.
2004
Prada launched its first perfume, PRADA CANDY, for women.
2005
Prada released a new version of the iconic Prada nylon bag Tessuto.
Artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset create Prada Marfa’s sculpture art installation in Texas, U.S., along Route 90.
2006
In 2006, Helmut Lang and Jil Sander labels, among others, were sold due to ongoing financial issues.
Two years later, following PRADA CANDY, a men’s perfume line was added under the Prada Sports label Linea Rossa.
2007 - 2008
Named after Prada’s first store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuelle II, Prada introduced a new Prada Galleria bag.
Prada collaborated with technology company L.G. on a Prada Touchscreen Phone.
2010
A notable collection, Prada SS10, featured a mix of cocktail dresses and gray power suits.
Prada collaborated with the Italian National Trust to help restore artwork across cities in Italy.
2012
Prada’s historic Fall/Winter 2012 menswear show had Gary Oldman, Willem Dafoe, and Tim Roth present the collection, consisting of pinstripe suits and long wool coats.
2013
American actor Ezra Miller was the new face of the Prada campaign.
2016
Prada’s revenues grew and reached over 2.5 million in sales, although profitability had been declining since 2014.
Prada goes live on online luxury marketplaces Net-a-Porter and Mytheresa.
2018
In March 2018, Prada became profitable again.
The Fall/Winter 2018 show brings back performance fabrics from the past, fusing the Prada Sports line with contemporary fashion.
2011
Prada S.p.A. is listed on Hong Kong Stock Exchange, which raised around $2.1 billion – although the group was making billions in sales, it had accrued an equal amount of debt.
2017
Prada raised topics around new sustainability actions during the “Shaping the Future” conference in Milan, Italy.
2018
The first Prada Mode, a traveling event focused on contemporary culture, took place in Miami.
2019
As part of the sustainability plan, Prada Group announced a fur-free policy for Prada as well as Miu Miu and re-introduced the iconic Prada nylon bags from 2000 and 2005 under the Prada re-nylon range.
Prada S.p.A. and L’Oréal signed a license agreement for L’Oréal to create and distribute beauty products on behalf of the Prada brand.
The next two Prada Mode events took place in Hong Kong and London.
The Prada nylon anorak became the most sought-after piece after Frank Ocean wore it to the Met Gala.
2020
In April 2020, Raf Simons became Prada’s co-designer, working directly with Miuccia Prada with equal creative input.
Prada and Raf Simons’s debuted their first collection together during the SS21 show in Milan.
The Prada Mode event took place as a 2-day streaming event in Shanghai.
North Sail drops a capsule with the Prada logo.
2021
Prada debuts its new Prada Cleo Bag during the SS21 show, a leather bag with a minimal design and metal triangle Prada logo.
Prada’s first product with L’Oréal is out – a men’s Luna Rossa Ocean fragrance with Jake Gyllenhall as the face of the campaign.
Another Prada Mode event took place in Moscow in December 2021.
Prada Group reported a total of €3.36bn ($3.68bn) revenue in 2021, up 41% from 2020.
Frank Ocean’s Homer and Prada collaborate on the Homer X Prada capsule.
2022
Actors Jeff Goldblum, Kyle McLachlan, Asa Butterfield, and Damson Idris walk the Prada FW22 runway, mirroring the viral 2012 show.
Eighth Prada Mode took place in Dubai in November, with Damien Hirst’s “Pharmacy” installation.
A new SS22 design of Prada’s Triangle Bag from Saffiano leather is out.
Prada promotes its SS22 capsule via the Prada Tropico installation.
The FW22 collection caused outrage thanks to a $1000 Prada tank top.
In October, Prada presented its next Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli sailing boat for the 37th America’s Cup.
Cassius Hirst, son of the British artist Damien Hirst, is hired to rework America’s Cup sneakers.
Prada SS23 womenswear and menswear collections were presented during Milan Fashion Week.
Prada teams up with adidas on the Prada X adidas capsule and collaborates with Nike on the Prada X Nike drop.
