“This collection is about questioning conventions, of structure and of masculinity,” said Raf Simons of his SS24 Prada outing designed alongside Miuccia Prada. In previous seasons, the twosome have been driven by reduction; exploring simplicity as a concept and reconsidering archetypes of a man’s wardrobe, with a strong focus on workwear. Expanding on this notion; the pair have been focused on the “absolute freedom of the body, expressed through the foundations of the garments that clothe it”.
With Fondazione Prada transformed into an industrial steel box, curtains of slime began to ooze from the ceiling, forming toxic green puddles as Nine Inch Nails’ “Closer” flooded the space. The silhouette of a classic dress shirt was the pair’s starting point, proposing tailoring that offered no restriction to the wearer. Boxy at the shoulder, with elongated sleeves and cinched-in waists, the silhouette was recontextualised from the 1940s, when such proportions were favoured for accentuating the male form. Here, the emphasis was on functionality and fluidity. Pastel-hued overcoats were lightweight, denim shirts were cut large and paired with school boy shorts, and gilets came littered with plenty of pockets.
An air of the extraterrestrial underlined the collection. Be it retro-futuristic patent leather loafers, polo shirts that sprouted with fake fur, or a new, fringed take on the staple Prada Hawaiian shirt, with gruesome aliens now lurking within their florals. There was a playfulness to such pieces, that coupled with the slime, harked back to witty Prada collections of yesteryear. “Life and understanding of life is so complex,” said Mrs. P. “Simplicity can be too simple.”
Photography courtesy of Prada.
