This season, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons gave us the only consent we’d ever need to be as promiscuous as possible. Prada’s Spring/Summer 2026 opened with its most distinctive piece: a pair of shorter-than-short bloomers with two front pockets. The billowy piece stopped at the top of the thigh, leaving the rest of the leg free to feel the gaping air of the Fondazione it walked in. Later accompanied by matching shirts, fringed shirts, and light knit polos, the first look saw an oversized camp shirt tucked into the shorts, as if for us to absorb it in all its glory. The appearance of the piece on the runway is hardly surprising. Considering Miuccia’s previous endeavour in pantless activities—the irrevocably beloved Miu Miu hotpants—it only makes sense that the phenomenon would be replicated in menswear.
And yet, the short(est) shorts weren’t meant to be sensual at all. Instead, they related the naked legs to something entirely more freeing: youth. Backstage, Prada and Simons talked of simplifying, of making lighter fashion in a heavier world. And even if the petite shorts could make us take their words literally, the lightness the duo speaks of backstage is palpable. It’s the exaggerated woven hats. It’s the tasselled striped oversized knits. It’s the gigantic daisies on boatneck shirts. It’s the backpacks carried in hand.
Considering the omnipresent intellectualism of a Prada collection, the duo’s desire to unload that weight was interesting. It wasn’t a haphazard affair (even if, backstage, both Prada and Simons related that it was the easiest collection they’ve made), but a humbler one. There was no overthinking. A pair of trousers was just that: perfectly cut and pleated trousers.
Of course, there had to be some lingering complexity—after all, Prada lives in the push and pull. Brightly colored tracksuits were still shoved inside perfectly tailored suits. Leather jackets were still made to fit ever so slightly “off”. The stars of the show themselves weren’t just short shorts; they ballooned at the waist. I won’t overcomplicate the meaning of their silhouette. I doubt Miuccia would approve, considering the show’s intent. The important takeaway here is: next summer will be a pantless one. Prada said so.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
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