Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons have returned to the idea of reduction throughout their joint tenure at Prada. They both have a penchant for peeling back menswear archetypes to their bare bones, dissecting our wardrobe go-tos – the parka or the dress shirt, for instance – before reconfiguring such garments into designs that thrill with excitement and innovation.
Their SS26 collection was easily the pair’s most stripped back outing to date. The show space was cleared of any elaborate set, save for a series of flower shaped rugs, while the show notes were reduced to 10 lines, some consisting of singular words. “Direct. Sense. Impulse.” The collection was called A Change Of Tone, defined as “a shift of attitude – dismantling of meaning, and dismantling power”. Amongst the noise of everyday life, a moment of calmness is always welcomed. Simons backstage said it was the easiest collection he’s ever worked on, with Mrs P proposing this season as a rejection of “useless, complicated ideas, a lot for the sake of doing a lot.”
Unfussy trousers yanked high above the ankle in gentle hues were paired with flip flops, plain sneakers and oxfords in clashing colours. It was quite the leggy affair, with some models donning short shorts so short, in fact, they were practically knickers. Aside from fringed rattan hats that were shiny and were swirled into painterly formations, the avant-garde was bypassed for a delightful simplicity. Rain macs, smocks, shrunken striped tracksuits and military shirts could fit into your wardrobe gracefully, while workwear jackets, buttery leathers and frayed, boat-necked knits had a lived-in feel. These are pieces you could return to time again, all in delicious colour combinations: pistachio, chocolate and vivid blues; sorbet yellows with raspberry pinks; the shock of a slime green vinyl jacket. Sometimes the most elegant thing in life is a sense of ease.
Photography courtesy of Prada.
