Blunt Bobs! Heavy-Metal Lips! 12 Unforgettable Prada Beauty Statements

Jenna Rennert

12Unforgettable Prada Beauty Statements That Became a Global Phenomenon

During the early days of street style's colorful, pastel highlights, the Fall 2012 Prada runway showcased contrasting, dip-dyed, manga-inspired manes that took conceptual hair color to chic new heights.
Pat McGrath played off the Japanese influences of Prada’s Spring 2013 collection by juxtaposing a neon-bright matte red lip against an otherwise bare face—rendering all other makeup unnecessary.
That model-off-duty, I-literally-just-hopped-out-of-the-shower look found form at Prada’s Fall 2013 runway show, which showcased purposefully damp hair that toed the line between insouciant and broodingly mysterious.
Like the bold color blocking in Miuccia's Spring 2014 collection, Prada’s model gang sat for saturated, single-tone dye jobs that made highlights seem obsolete. Auburn, raven, and peroxide manes were pinned back and paired with bleached brows for a wholly contemporary look.
The theatrical Fall 2014 show took beauty to stage-worthy levels by way of artfully clumped, exaggerated lashes. The spidery effect made a strong case for offhand, stand-alone beauty statements.
Guido Palau played up the slightly surrealist undertones of the Fall 2015 collection with gravity-defying high ponytails, attached to the side of the head with glimmering, whimsical brooches, for a thoroughly modern take on the updo.
Pat McGrath’s penchant for gold pigments swept Spring 2016’s runways. At Prada, the opulent, eclectic collection was accompanied by metallic lips that were simultaneously kooky and decadent.
Backstage at Prada's Spring 2017 show, Palau delivered a series of on-the-spot radical haircuts, turning models into freshly bobbed minimalist beauties.

The Blunt Bob, Spring 2017

Backstage at Prada's Spring 2017 show, Palau delivered a series of on-the-spot radical haircuts, turning models into freshly bobbed minimalist beauties.
Photographed by Kevin Tachman
Palau picked up the shears again for the fall 2017 season, giving a few lucky models a distinctly Edie Sedgwick-inspired gamine pixie.

Boy Cuts, Fall 2017

Palau picked up the shears again for the fall 2017 season, giving a few lucky models a distinctly Edie Sedgwick-inspired gamine pixie.
Photo: Courtesy of Amanda Murphy / @amandajeanmurphy
McGrath demonstrated her flair for showgirl chic for the Fall 2018 show, attaching strategically placed, shimmering Swarovski crystals to the colorful cat eyes of models, who were dressed in neon-hued party dresses.

Swarovski-Studded Eyes, Fall 2018

McGrath demonstrated her flair for showgirl chic for the Fall 2018 show, attaching strategically placed, shimmering Swarovski crystals to the colorful cat eyes of models, who were dressed in neon-hued party dresses.
Photo: Indigital.tv
To accompany those epic school girl padded headbands, Palau transformed a few lucky models into their own version of Jean Seberg with a set of career making micro bangs.

Extreme Pixies, Spring 2019

To accompany those epic school girl padded headbands, Palau transformed a few lucky models into their own version of Jean Seberg with a set of career making micro bangs.
Photo: Corey Tenold
Models stormed the Fall runway with sets of just-bleached brows and hip-grazing pigtail braids, dyed shocking shades of baby blonde and deep black. Plus, a lucky nine received razor sharp 1920's inspired bobs—courtesy of Palau, no doubt.

Season after season, Prada demonstrates its power to shift the future of fashion—and the same is true of the way that the house, and its regular hair and makeup collaborators Guido Palau and Pat McGrath, influence ideas around beauty. Whether that has meant elevating dip-dyed lengths with an aspirational new take on two-tone hair color, or reminding us that a bold lip turns an otherwise naked face into a work of art, the Milanese label has consistently offered visions of beauty that inspire and delight.

As for last year's lineup of boyish crops and buzz cuts? It was only a matter of time before the close cropped styles turned up in Hollywood on the likes of Kristen Stewart and Cara Delevingne. Here, just after the label’s Spring 2020 runway show, a look back at some of the most memorable moments of seasons past.

See the videos.

Originally Appeared on Vogue