“I don’t wear jeans.” Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons made the divisive statement backstage at their menswear show in June. The comment, seemingly in relation to the collection just presented, was but a small Easter egg, a preview of what was to come three months later. On the same transparent set, filled with LED lights that illuminated models from all angles, Spring/Summer 2027 didn’t present a single pair of pants.
Mrs Prada has previously confessed on record her love for skirts. “To me, they’re like T-shirts.” For the designer, they’re a democratic blank wall on which ideas are allowed to roam freely. And roam freely they did. Appropriately titled The Skirt, the collection made the garment a pleated canvas through which different stories were told. One of which was the tension between rough and delicate, a story as old as the brand. Heavy distressed leather jackets extended past the waistline, poorly concealing the feminine floral skirts underneath, of which only the hems were visible. Even if only in a flash, a pink skirt with a translucent white grid and animated flowers in different styles was brilliant.
As skirts elongated past the mid-thigh, so did the narrative evolve. Neutral colored mid-length skirts connected only at the upper thigh, seemingly held in place by the thick panel of vibrant Velcro that accompanied the entire length of the garment. The functional flirts with the aesthetic in the rectangles of the gripping fabric, completely embellished with delicate crystal flowers. As the show progressed, these shiny bouquets moved to the waistband in otherwise sober skirts. At one point, they won the war, occupying the entirety of a see-through skirt, their petals shining as the models walked, revealing their legs through the blossoms.
At first glance, it would be easy to reduce the collection to its titular muse. Prada, of course, can’t be reduced to such superficial readings. Beyond the adornment the eye can see, materiality becomes a playground for those who have the privilege to touch. Thick pleated skirts, seemingly made of leather, are composed of reworked nylon. A particular iteration of these, a set with an oversized vest and thickly pleated skirt in chartreuse, is reminiscent of Simons’ work at Calvin Klein. For both of the creative leaders of the brand, skirts have always been a point of interest. It’s refreshing to see it here expanded as a medium of its own.
That’s not to say interesting silhouettes were confined to the bottom ratio of the body. Even amongst skirts galore, tops and shirts coexisted interestingly with the main muse. Metallic tops and bras were often left open in the back, their separated backs flipping like wings. U-shaped bralettes resembled the fastenings on a backpack, while bandeau tops gripped the model’s arms closely to their chest, both with attachments for pouches on the side. As the last looks came by, the audio of a feminine moan was replaced with Connie Francis singing Hurt. “To think you’d want someone new breaks my heart.” Yet, we don't. Season after season, Prada is always the one.
Words by Pedro Vasconcelos
