May 14, 2018 |
There are a few places in this world where one might not expect to see Prada. More than a few really, but nestled in between nurseries and Church (sorry Met) are factories, owing to the fact an open-toed heel offers the foot scant protection in the face of heavy falling things, nor does a fluorescent short sleeve nylon shirt fare well against open flames or moving parts. Having said that, you will at least be easy to spot for any first aid requirements. What then, you rightly ask, are this trio of Kris Grikaite, Fran Summers and Anok Yai doing risking their safety (but more importantly their Prada) in such a hazardous place? The truth is that this is a fantasy factory, where the workers’ uniform is Prada. And while fantasy is the product, Miuccia’s nerve centre also runs on the stuff – a fail safe formula of two parts ambition to one part vision, plus a dose of pure imagination. It’s a potent fuel, a concoction of creativity that radiates technicolour neon and produces hybrid clothing imbibed with the functional and the feminine. These previously unseen processes have been revealed thanks to Willy Vanderperre’s investigative imagery. The factory has been working overtime of late, what with Prada’s Resort collection, fantasy is, after all, not cheap to come by, but we’ll take it over greenhouse gases anytime.
