While many designers and fashion houses have been known to champion a hero item — Burberry and the trench, Chanel and the tweed suit, Ralph Lauren and the polo shirt — rarely does a label dedicate an entire runway show to said item. Well, that’s exactly what Prada did for Spring/Summer 2027. In a bold move, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons doubled down on the skirt, showcasing the versatility and power of the humble bottom at the brand’s Sept. 22 show in Milan.
“Engineered for freedom, the skirt is a Prada obsession,” read the Instagram caption for a runway recap of the presentation, which kicked off Milan Fashion Week. “The collection stays within the particular form language of this specific skirt, as an exercise of exploration inside strict parameters, a frame for ceaseless creation.”
Indeed, the exploration was vast, homing in on a range of mostly knee-grazing midi styles. It read very full-circle for Prada, who made headlines for her “ugly” take on the skirt style for the brand’s Spring 1996 collection, which showcased wrap skirts and sleek pencil silhouettes in muted shades of chocolate, khaki, and avocado green — shades which Vogue claimed, “hadn’t been considered attractive since the seventies.” The designer leaned in, embracing awkwardness and unexpected severity, and spinning them into marks of sophistication for the modern woman.
Thirty years later, the brand is once again betting on the piece and trope that originally put it on the map. For Spring/Summer 2027, there were pleats galore, set in color-blocked accordion styles and paired with boxy leather vests as well as sheer, candy-colored lamé looks and more neutral layered wool, both of which were topped with sexy bralettes and strapless bandeaus. The latter lingerie tops were another throughline for the Spring/Summer 2027 lineup, shown in loud, playful patterns and complementing the leg-baring high-slit pencil skirts and slinky silk midis for a seemingly sultry, mix-and-match take on workwear.
That’s not to say the Prada girl isn’t all business. Warm-weather essentials like button-down blouses and cozy knit sweaters were set in check patterns, plus fun jewel tones of sapphire blue and ruby red. Also reimagined were buttery leather separates: blazer and moto styles were showcased in everything from distressed faded neutrals to loud and proud hues of pink and chartreuse.
Ahead, see all the highlights from Prada’s candy-coated skirt party.
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