Elegant tailoring, dazzling prints and accessories to die for

Saturday, 25 February 2012 00:06 - - {{hitsCtrl.values.hits}}

Consistently a tastemaker and a trendsetter, Miuccia Prada did not disappoint today at Milan Fashion Week.

A far cry from the flames and tailfins of last September’s show, the new collection was all restrained tailoring and layers upon layers of geometric prints.

Walking a carpeted catwalk adorned with the same textile as the garments, models with two-tone hair and kohl-rimmed eyes showcased a series of looks that promise as much critical acclaim as retail success.

While the highlight was the mosaic-like prints - which came in a searing orange and punchy violet - the show opened with simpler, more muted looks.

Black will be, well, the new black, if Miuccia Prada has her way - and history tells us she usually does. Heavy embellishments across necklines added drama, while high-waisted belting gave an almost military structure to each shape.

Almost every single look incorporated cropped trousers - even those with dresses and skirts. It made for a purposeful play on varying hemlines, especially with those long, formal coats.

The stars of the show were the accessories, though. Prada’s bread and butter when it comes to in-store sales, the platform Mary Janes, with embellished satin and bright orange toecaps, were at once fun and wearable (for those with a head for heights at least).

Bags too, from the more familiar shapes reinvented with applique designs, to the brand new ones, and were covetable. Even a bright yellow leather style looked like a modern classic. Backstage after the show, Prada refused to be drawn on the notion of themes.

She told WWD, “I don’t want to talk about ideas,” explaining that her focus when designing the collection had been on strength of silhouettes.

“I didn’t want to talk about power,” she explained. “It’s a suggestion of importance and beauty.”

The Prada show is usually famous for launching the careers of unknown models, but this season, thanks to a new casting director, was different, and the line-up included Lindsey Wixson, Natasha Poly and Anne Vyalitsyna, the girlfriend of Maroon 5 front man Adam Levine.

The star names did not entirely steal the show though, as the industry is already buzzing with the name of fledgling model Vanessa Axente, who opened the show.

- www.dailymail.co.uk