ARE YOU A PRADA GIRL OR A MIU MIU MUSE?

Prada, the more sophisticated, serious business woman that has her life in order, in contrast to Miu Miu, the rebellion who strives for creativity while also acting on impulsivity. Both established brands have their own place in the world and in this case study I will be doing a deep dive into the sister brands and how distinct they are.

Prada is the more serious brand out of two. It is tactical and outwright serious while Miu Miu is more feminie, carefree, and impulsive. In an interview with Another Magazine, Mucia Prada states, “Miu Miu is its intuitive, impulsive counterpart…Miu Miu has the sensibility of sibling rebellion… Miu Miu’s intellect is light-hearted compared to Prada’s heavyweight approach; Prada questions luxury, whereas Miu Miu toys with its trappings. While also profoundly radical, Prada is more serious…”.

Prada, the more serious of the two brands is the family dynasty, the public face of Miuccia Prada since her takeover of the family brand after Prada’s founder and Miuccia’s grandfather, Mario Prada, stepped down in 1978. Miu Miu which launched in 1993 is Miuccia’s own creative outlet to express herself freely and personally. Prada is now co-creatively directed by both Miuccia Prada and Raf Simmons.

Miu Miu 1995-1996 runway collections

“Miu Miu is its intuitive, impulsive counterpart…Miu Miu has the sensibility of sibling rebellion… Miu Miu’s intellect is light-hearted compared to Prada’s heavyweight approach; Prada questions luxury, whereas Miu Miu toys with its trappings. While also profoundly radical, Prada is more serious…” — Miuccia Prada (Another Magazine)

Prada 1992-1999 runway collections

Background on Miu Miu & Prada

In order to differentiate the two, it is important to note that Prada is the older and more sophisticated sister of the two, while Miu Miu is the youngest and most impulsive.

Miu Miu was first launched in 1993 at 34 avenue Foch, a hotel which has a specific niche of chicness. In the first launch Miu Miu’s first collection was a cowgirl themed collection that showed Miu Miu’s spontaneity, and spirit of a young free spirited girl. Miu Miu exudes youthfulness with its all puffed sleeves, pie crust collars and sequined party dresses. Many of Miu Miu’s clothes play with childlike elements and that is one of the things that make Miu Miu what it is known for. Its gentleness with a hint of bravery and courage. The Miu Miu girl is youthful and loves her freedom. She loves creatively expressing herself through her clothing and not having to deal with the technicalities of it. That's what differentiates Miu Miu from its older sister Prada.

In 1913, Prada was first founded by Mario Prada and opened the first Prada store in Milan’s grand 19th century Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, where he sold mostly old travel cases and luxurious leather.

It wasn't until 1978, Miuccia Prada took over her grandfather's company and grew it to mainstream success. Her minimal black nylon backpack was a huge hit in the 1980s and the 1990s, Prada became even more successful. With its minimalistic, sophisticated but modern styling, Prada’s first fashion under Miuccia Prada was held in Milan and the fall/ winter collection focused on cline lines and silhouettes that were meant to showcase the timeless and chic style. And that has followed Prada into the present day. Unlike Miu Miu, who is much more avant garde and spontaneous, Prada is more sophisticated and refined.

With such a diverse fabrication and silhouette, Miu Miu and Prada are so immediately identifiable and distinct from one another, it's almost enchanting to say the least.

The creative process for both Miu Miu and Prada is vastly different. Prada is more complicated than Miu Miu. Rather than being a young spirit that is full of spontaneity and imagination, Prada is more sophisticated and full of reverence, all things considered.

“The solution, when I am working on Miu Miu, has to come immediately, instinctively, spontaneously with whatever is available at the moment. If I think three times, I stop.” — Miuccia Prada, September 2014

Miu Miu Spring 2022 collection

Difference in design

Prada has always been known for its more tactical and traditional style with a hint of modern.

When describing Prada, Miuccia has always made it known that Prada’s clothing design is drawn from her personal experiences and personal tastes. In the 1970s through the 1980s Miuccia Prada was rebellious, going against the direction of contemporary fashion and finding her own strategies of acquiring clothes. Whether that was buying clothes from children's tailors or from suppliers of uniforms for nurses or maids. It wasn’t until later that she created and designed her own clothes.

Miu Miu began as a small collection of vintage inspired pieces that were minimal with a hint of femininity that Miuccia Prada lacked in her childhood. Miu Miu was the creative outlet for Miuccia to express herself and that side of her that wanted to wear pink and hitched up skirts. Growing up Miuccia’s mother would dress her in navy, a gender norm color that is usually associated with boys or men. In regard to this Miu Miu was the release that Miuccia so desperately needed in order to voice that side of her that just wanted to wear pink. In many Miu Miu designs it is common to see a more proactive side than Prada, which reflects a feminine businesswoman who has her life together. Instead Miu Miu is courageous and imaginative, with a hint of avant garde. Miu Miu evokes a sense of bravery and freedom in a classic but spontaneous style.

Prada Spring 2022 collection

Both Prada and Miu Miu are well established brands that have their own distinct style. Both sisters in their own right bring something to the fashion world that is very much needed. Sophistication with a hint of femininity and a more youthful, rebellious type that is impulsive but creative.

So with that being said, are you a Prada girl? Or a Miu Miu muse?