Prada: Minimalism pushed to the extreme

Precision, focus, a reactive gesture. The Spring/Summer 2027 men’s collection by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, presented on Sunday in Milan, was centred on the notion of choice—of conscious decision-making. Its emphasis was less on reduction than on distillation: on what was essential, intentional and meaningful. In short, Prada pushed its minimalism to the extreme this time, showcasing slender, androgynous silhouettes clad in jeans and lightweight, close-fitting leather.

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The two designers reconsidered clothing from a fresh perspective, proposing a precise, highly controlled silhouette—refined, linear and consistent.

In the Fondazione Prada hangar, men and women in this co-ed show followed Australian model Julia Nobis down a neon-lit catwalk.

Leather tops and gilets were worn high, sometimes leaving the navel exposed. Scarves knotted at the hips added splashes of colour, as did colourful pouches fastened to wide belts.

Within the collection, a specific vocabulary of garments—jeans, denim jackets, T-shirts, surprising in their pragmatic simplicity—was completely re-evaluated. Stripped of superfluous details and exaggerations, these pieces are presented as a foundation for endless possibilities and reinterpretations.

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Sheer trousers and shirts completed the edgy looks of these young men and women, potential members of punk-rock bands in their skinny jeans.

In this collection, accessories were streamlined to become part of a whole, while paradigmatic clothing styles were reworked and re-examined. According to Prada and Simons, these were timeless pieces—garments that defied easy categorisation by function or era.

“In this exercise in clarity, novelty is understood as a break. The ambition was to create something new out of ‘nothing’—against exaggeration, against complex materials. Against useless design. There is nothing I detest more these days than useless design: this collection expresses that concept. And this ‘nothing’ is very precise: it is much harder to achieve,” stated Miuccia Prada.

“We worked on instinct; we know what we don’t want to do, and we know we have to reinvent ourselves, move forward and do many things—but with a deep knowledge of fashion. Everything seems simple, but it isn’t,” added Raf Simons.

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“This collection marks a break with the conventions of luxury. It was a conscious choice: a change of attitude,” the designers added in unison, laying their intentions bare.

“Different materials, rethought proportions. The new silhouette is fundamental. There was something irresistible in the repetition, in this focus. It’s about being extremely decisive and precise.”

With AFP