SWEET SPACE AGE
Paris: Miuccia Prada adapted the early 1960s vibe that pervaded last week’s Prada show for her Miu Miu collection. With an innocence that seemed both ironic and sincere, the Miu Miu girl flaunted her long, long legs in eye-popping orange and purple miniskirts and ultra-short shift dresses reminiscent of Mary Quant’s swinging London. Sweet details like scalloped hems, squared-off kicky pleats, gathered shoulders and high neckpieces adorned with bows gave the looks a schoolgirl charm, but Jane Jetson skirts and chunky hardware in the style of space-age designers like Pierre Cardin gave it all an edge. The items themselves hit upon some of the season’s most important elements: the boxy shifts corresponded to the newly emerging straight silhouette, furry pieces felt fresh and of-the-moment, and slim pants with flared attachments at the ankle echoed the newest shape for bottoms. One of fashion’s great visionaries, Miuccia Prada presented some of the dichotomies in this collection that make her work so compelling – it was at once naïve and seductive, vintage-inspired and forward-thinking, directional and in line with current trends.
