the politics of miu miu

on the genius of miuccia prada, and social commentary through clothes

Miu Miu has been around for a long time, even though its recent virality and youthful look might fool you. It was established back in 1992, named after Miuccia Prada’s family nickname, giving it a very raw and personal touch, as opposed to the professional and cold older sister Prada.

In the recent years, Miu Miu has been one of the most sought after brands. In this current era where almost all luxury fashion brands are suffering, Miu Miu managed to set itself aside, drawing more profit than ever. It’s not very surprising, because if anyone was capable of doing that, it would be Miuccia Prada—a true visionary, and one of the most influential designers of all time.

Fashion functions like a magnifying glass on our culture and our society. Trends and brands all stem from culture, because fashion isn’t about clothes, it’s about life. Miu Miu is performing well in this climate not because the clothes are simply good—and they are—but because they are telling a story. To understand what Miu Miu stands for, we must first understand the genius behind it.

In the 70s, Miuccia earned a political science degree while she was studying acting, then went on to get a PhD in political science. She was a once a mime, a member of the Italian Communist Party, and part of the women’s rights movement in Italy. From her education and her interests, we can assume that at the time, her career ambitions were different than one in fashion. Nevertheless, she entered into her family’s business.

In 2020, Raf Simons joined Prada as co-creative director, and this meant an opportunity for Miuccia to focus more on Miu Miu. The brand has been thriving even more since then, a proof that Miuccia has a specific vision for this passion project. She has always been a pioneer, but with Miu Miu she has a unique platform for her most inner creations that maybe she never had with Prada—at least not to this extent. She once said that Prada is who she is, and Miu Miu is who she would like to be. It is supposed to ‘represent the independant and unconventional spirit of Miuccia Prada’. And seeing as Miuccia has been interested in politics from an early age, it’s only natural her designs are intellectual conversations.

Let’s look at her latest runway collection, Miu Miu FW25. The show opens with a classic Miu Miu look; a pink sweater and a brown skirt, paired with a hat and a fur jacket. Simple, but what draws your attention the most is the cone bra that the model is wearing. The main point of the look is what Miuccia calls ‘the typical accessories of femininity: the bra, the brooches, the fur’. The cone bra is there to draw your attention to it, to the most sexualized part of a woman: her breasts. But the shape is unnatural, it’s bulging, it’s spiky, and almost clashes with the rest of the look, and the playful color combination. You are looking, but it makes you uncomfortable in a way, for seeing it and noticing it, because you notice that before you notice the clothes. She urges you to have a conversation with yourself almost, and question your impulses. This, to me, is a feminist’s way of critiquing a culture obsessed with women and their bodies.

Similarly, the first viral collection, Miu Miu SS22 had parallel intentions. This collection catapulted Miu Miu into the revered position it has in the fashion world today, almost overnight. It wasn’t a niche brand only a select few knew about anymore, because now everyone was talking about that piece: the micro skirt. Paired with cut-up sweaters and shirts, that look like they were ripped carelessly moments ago. I think this might have been the moment when the ‘office siren’ aesthetic was first born—professional and formal pieces of clothing paired in the most unprofessional way. Skirts so short that the pockets peak out from underneath, leaving nothing to the imagination. Obviously you can’t wear these outfits to the office, and that’s not the point, but as always most people on the internet missed this nuance and critiqued this trend for not being office safe despite being called office siren. Miuccia’s collection, to me, is a form of feminine rebellion, against the dictates of what a woman should and shouldn’t wear.

I love Miuccia’s work, because any of her collections are worth dissecting, even if you could argue that they weren’t created with a deep message in mind. She creates with curiosity, and it’s never her intention to invent new trends. She’s an unintentional trendsetter, because she understands that clothes and culture are unbreakably intertwined. The clothes that we wear serve a purpose in our life, and only sometimes is this purpose an aesthetic one—they have to be functional first. We can see this in her fascination with socks, seemingly one of the most unimportant and ignored yet maybe the most universally used piece of clothing. Especially with Miu Miu, she dives deep into unconventional and imaginative socks, sometimes even making them the focal point of a look.

Miu Miu is sensual, intellectual, and experimental. A Miu Miu girl is a rebel at heart—provocative and bold. She is a woman we all aspire to be. “An impulsive character, irreverent personality, and innovative style express a distinctive, contemporary femininity.”

With her career spanning decades, combining functionality and avant-garde, challenging beauty standards by inventions such as the ‘ugly chic’, Miuccia is a true gem in the fashion world. She has been paving the way in an industry dominated by men for many years—she is a true inspiration.

One of my favorite moments of Miuccia was when a little girl who wanted to be a fashion designer asked her for advice to keep herself on her path, and Miuccia answered like this,

Study, study, study. Learn—watch movies, watch art, read literature, and learn that a piece of clothing serves the role of making you live better. So it’s for you and for your life. (…) It has to be useful and help define your personality. It is an instrument for your life.

It’s never just about the clothes.

love, asli