27 February 2026 |
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons staged a clever show that cycled through just 15 models.
There’s a common belief that says fall dressing is for the ones who truly love fashion — after all, it takes a deft hand and a keen eye to layer pieces for the sake of style and practicality. For Prada fall 2026, that sentiment plays out in real time as Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons staged a show that cycled through 15 models, as a clever metaphor for the realities of women in modern life.It took a minute for the concept to come across as the show opened with bundled up models in heavy overcoats with thin knit scarves or little rain capelets (similar to the ones shown for men’s a few weeks ago). With their outerwear obscuring what lies underneath, you suddenly realized after 15 looks passed by, hmm, isn’t that Bella Hadid…again? I see Julia Nobis coming around? Oh wait, Liu Wen too! Suddenly it hit: the same women were back for a second pass, shedding their outer layers to reveal the second part of their outfits. And then it cycled through again, for a total four times per model for 60 looks in total. With each pass you saw less and less, as coats eventually gave way to tanks, shorts, and skirts — the barest of layers but still no less appealing.
Such a conceit could only work for Mrs. Prada and Simons, with the show notes citing that they wanted to portray how clothes are truly worn. After all, don’t we layer our pieces in interesting ways to stretch their lives? And isn’t every item in our wardrobe representative of some memory or moment in our own personal history? As a brand, Prada is grounded in reality — these are clothes women wear on the daily and hold with sentiment, even if they might seem fantastical to others who don’t quite understand her eccentricities.Â
As for the clothes themselves, they spanned the gamut. Tailored outwear was classic and sharp, be it long wool coats, oversized trenches, or slim blazers. That gave way to sportswear in the form of bombers and zip-up cardigans. Archival dresses made an appearance, seemingly as the skirts of the looks, until the third pass revealed their true identity. Eventually there were little boxy crop tops, a nod to last season as well as long shorts and filmy beaded skirts. All of this is a reminder that yes, your clothes have plenty of potential if you just layer up and think outside of the box.
One last note that sent the internet into a tizzy (besides the appearance of Mark Zuckerberg and Priscilla Chan) were the shoes. From beaded boots to frilly pumps, they were Prada styling at its best: a little weird glamour to keep things interesting. And really, that’s what we all want in our wardrobes right now.
