Miuccia Prada And Raf Simons Just Made The Office Exciting Again

Artificial reality? We don’t know her. For their fall/winter 2024 menswear collection, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons were interested in the idea of something real. The set, designed by AMO, certainly reflected the realities of many in the general population.

Attendees walked into the Fondazione Prada show space to find it transformed into an office, complete with cubicles, computers and swivel chairs. But this is not your standard, soulless workspace. Underfoot, separated by glass, was a gentle stream lapping over rocks; and patches of grass scattered with fallen leaves. Were Prada and Simons going to give us a showdown between the office and the outdoors? 

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

The first look out was as corporate-uniform as it gets—shirt, slacks and tie. It was followed by more office staples; think boxy suits and bulky totes. After last season’s short shorts worn with decorative florals and fringe, it seemed like the duo was making a return to normalcy. But of course, in Prada-land, normal is never quite what it seems. Those suits and shirts and slacks were worn with swim caps, as though at any moment the models might strip off their work clothes for a splash in the pool. While some models wore dress shoes, others sported summery strappy sandals. 

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

Colour was used sparingly but impactfully. The palette was mostly neutral but the occasional burst of brights lent the collection a jolt of unexpectedness and kept things from becoming too corporate—a flash of purple on those beanie-like swim caps, or an apricot-hued tie peeking out from under a dark suit. Prada and Simons also have a way with off-kilter colour combinations that would look right at home in a Wes Anderson movie—chocolate paired with aubergine, moss green with bubblegum pink, or tomato red layered atop aquamarine. 

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

In their show notes, Prada and Simons referenced “a world with seasons, with weather, not an artificial reality”, and the clothes they sent out made good on that premise, especially the outerwear. It was a terrific season for Prada coats; they had a protective quality to them, designed to weather the elements. There were narrowed-down trench coats and bulked-up peacoats; wool coats with their leather-lined collars turned up; and bomber jackets cut like cocoons. They encapsulated the ethos of the collection: these were real clothes for the real world—as opposed to showpieces for an Instagram moment—though reality looks a little twisted and a lot more desirable seen through the Prada lens.

Related article: Song Kang, Dua Lipa, And The Joy Of Fashion At Prada Fall/Winter 2023

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada

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Photo: Courtesy of Prada