The new Prada menswear couture has walked the runway, and it has left a lot of people wondering how much of an influence Raf Simons had on this collaboration collection. Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada have at last come together to debut a codesigned menswear collection for the luxury brand Prada. Raf and Miuccia’s first collaboration came during the SS21 womenswear fashion show. A past creative director of Calvin Klein and Dior, Raf’s move to Prada excited anyone keeping tabs on the fashion community. Known for his graphics and simple designs, he reinvigorated the brand and helped to produce a collection that had great critical reception.
A major recurring theme throughout the collection is an oversized coat silhouette with fitted suit tailoring. Prada plays with an interesting puff sleeve design in varying lengths. Some highlights include a bomber jacket in an array of colors, multicolored oversized pea coats and various geometric ‘90s patterns featured on jacket linings, cardigans, knit suits, oversized sweaters and turtlenecks. “#PradaFW21 Menswear collection is minimalized in structure, a logical reduction: jacquard-knit bodysuits create a streamlined second skin, serving to delineate the figure in dynamic movement,” the brand said in an Instagram caption.
A major standout from the collection was the Prada hybrid glove bag that caused quite a stir on the internet. Another noteworthy piece of fashion from the show came in the form of footwear featuring a variety of leather and nylon shoes in eggplant, emerald, ruby and black. “#PradaFW21 is made up of unanticipated sensations: textiles in unexpected colors, weights, and patterns, creating an extra-sensory experience,” the brand said in a statement.
While their first collaboration was a hit with references to Miuccia’s past work, this feels like yet another self-reference drawing on themes from her AW89 show. Additionally, this show felt like it had almost too much influence from Raf Simons, leaving many yearning for more of Miuccia’s vision. The theme of the Prada show was “Possible Feelings” and it left me possibly feeling — the overall aesthetic of the garments was appealing and you can appreciate the design, but it’s definitely left people expecting more with a duo like Raf and Miuccia.