It was hardly a typical Miu Miu autumn/winter 2023 runway show or collection; in fact, the collections hadn’t really been typical of late.
Since Miu Miu experienced a sort of reawakening since its 2000s-heavy spring/summer 2022 collection, Miuccia Prada has been quite on an experimental streak. Hardly one to pile on logos over logos over logos, the Miu Miu autumn/winter 2023 collection was exactly that. Undergarments—fast becoming a Miu Miu signature—rendered in sheer fabrications were layered over each other, each bearing the brand’s distinct black tag flushed to the left.
“The point with this collection was to look at fashion from a personal point of view. I am always interested in how people look at things, their consideration. Why people are attracted to certain ideas, why others repulse them. This collection explores the idea of looking—the concept that, through close study, garments can be transformed both in their design, and again in how they are worn. How fashion and fashion design can change perceptions, of things we think we know. It’s an invitation to reconsider,” explains Mrs Prada.
The narrative was pretty straightforward. Like the undergarments that were the basis of the entire collection, the autumn/winter 2023 collection’s pieces were twisted in the materials they were made of—clear departures from the norm. It was further underscored by the bedhead hairstyles that almost every model was seen in. One can safely assume that the Miu Miu girl (and boy) was caught in a morning tussle, haphazardly getting ready for work and grabbing just about whatever they could in order to appear presentable, much less professional for the office.
In their more solid efforts, mid-weight hoodies were worn over leggings and tights, as well as twinsets that lent more formal pursuits. The constant out-of-bed elements and what typically would be worn hidden were brought to the fore, or at the very least, visible through all manner of sheer garments.
The pièces de résistance were the closing looks that consisted of chic Miu Miu-branded turtlenecks paired with bejewelled panties that were then matched with stockings. And of course, casually worn with a bag balanced on the crook of the arm.
Mrs Prada sought to challenge the notion of normality in design. But what she perhaps revealed, for those of us on the outside looking into glimpses of her mind, is a creative that still has a lot more to offer in fashion despite having been at it for decades. The fact that she could consistently turn the banal into things that I’m pretty certain would be desirable once the collection hits the boutiques, is nothing short of impressive.
View the full Miu Miu autumn/winter 2023 collection in the gallery below.
