Prada RTW Spring 2023

Instagram perfect? Who needs it.

With an assist from Hollywood director Nicolas Winding Refn, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons showed a collection for the Be Real generation, giving fashion the creative jolt it needed this season.

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Many of those in lockdown during COVID-19 could relate to the storyline, a dark twist on the domestic bliss that wasn’t always that.

It also seemed like a wink to all the hot young things walking the runway back in February in their party clothes, sexy tank tops, bedazzled skirts and logo streetwear, and wearing it front row at the show on Thursday.

Be afraid Chiara Ferragni and Fedez, be very afraid! If you haven’t already, you, too, will come to identify with the look of sleepwalking through the day, feathery eyes wide shut, in a state of barely-keeping-it-together deshabille.

But what deshabille it was — lacy house dresses with the triangle Prada logo, gorgeous pastel gossamer knits, and coats with filmy lace overlays were more sexy, neo-grunge dream than nightmare.

The designers tapped the Danish director to frame the collection in the cinematic moodiness he’s known for in his films “Drive” and “Neon Demon.” He added a layer of storytelling that helped inject emotion into the clothes with his theme of domestic voyeurism, and the physical environs to match, featuring dark papered walls and windows flickering with fragments of his films, a neon snippet of a kitchen here, a yard there.

There was an energetic, creative richness to the collection, too, which conveyed the feeling of being one step in the world and one step at home.

The tailored uniform of best intentions was creased and twisted into a beautiful dissonance, the dream of dressing up deflated, sending silk flowers scattering on a white satin cocktail frock, and color-saturated paper dresses ripping up one leg.

Or, for days when you just don’t want to think about it, there was a crisp poplin take on a union suit — the Prada WFH uniform.

This was Miuccia at her best, channeling not just a woman’s experience but a non-gendered human’s into the inclusive show, too, and reflecting this moment in time when it can be hard to summon up the energy to get out of bed, even if it’s just to go to the home office. (Or to summon up the energy to get out of bed after a night of revenge partying.)

She lent an element of touch to every piece, which is true luxury, while Simons brought his flair for the spontaneous gesture onto satin minidresses folded like haute bed sheets, and black evening dresses and coats with crushed bows trailing off the back.

Watching the two interact back stage, it was clear theirs is still a happy marriage.

Launch Gallery: Prada RTW Spring 2023

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