These Photos of Young Miuccia Prada Illuminate the Woman Behind Miu Miu and Prada
Turn back time with L'OFFICIEL as we take a look at the young Milanese who would later helm two legandary fashion houses.
Before Miuccia Prada was a legend, she was a young woman with a thirst for being different and fearless. The intrepid Milanese designer was born Maria Bianchi, and was a young political activist who, as she mentioned in her Vogue interview, used to protest in Yves Saint Laurent dresses.
“I always thought there were only two noble professions: politicians or doctors,” the designer told Vogue in reference to her younger self. “Doing clothes [while coming from] a group of very important intellectuals—for me it was like a nightmare. I was so ashamed, but anyway I did it…. The love of beautiful objects prevailed.”
She later changed her name to Miuccia Prada after her maternal aunt legally adopted her, thus inheriting her mother's name and family business. The designer creates luxury goods but is also dedicated to making practical clothing for women; this is seen in the durable and water-resistant nylon handbags Prada is famous for and the Miu Miu ballet flats that allow for comfort while still being chic. She eventually realized her ambition of creating beautiful but usable products and separated her aesthetic from the femme-fatale look of her competitors. While many Italian houses worship a woman's figure, Prada wants to worship the woman. While there's a lack of figure-hugging silhouettes in her designs, there's an appreciation for feminity and refined feminine taste.
“To have an idea of a woman as a beautiful silhouette—no!” Prada said in that same interview. “I try to respect women—I tend not to do bias dresses, super-sexy. I try to be creative in a way that can be worn, that can be useful.”
Below, L'OFFICIEL rounds up rare photos of Prada from her earlier years as a designer and her youth.
