Prada injects glamour into its collection inspired by uniform

"I am always trying to build a new kind of elegance, she said after the Prada show in Milan, a collaboration with her co-designer Raf Simons. In a uniform you are protected, you are neutral, it allows you to think. For women, uniforms offer authority and agency, she said. A woman can feel amazing and chic and luxurious in a uniform, just as much as in a dress."

"My dad was a nightwatchman, and I always saw him in uniform, Simons said backstage. He was the sweetest man, a caring family man. So for me, uniform has a nice feeling, it is not about war, or the army. The world is so hardcore now, but there is still so much beauty. We have to find a way through."

Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons rework uniform motifs into a collection that blends utilitarian details with high-glamour touches. Boxy jumpsuits, short-sleeve shirts with buttoned pockets replacing logos, V-neck sweaters and trousers with ironed-in pleats appear alongside satin opera gloves, a taffeta puffball skirt worn under a rainmac, and elevated accessories. The designers present uniform as a source of protection, neutrality, authority and agency for women, drawing on memories of fathers in work uniforms for emotional resonance. The collection reframes functional clothing as luxurious and empowering while 18th-century silhouettes also gain renewed attention in contemporary shows.

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