Prada Spring/Summer 2025: Eclecticism and the Power of Personal Expression
Words DOMENICO COSTANTINI
The Prada Spring Summer 2025 show, designed by OMA, featured a minimalist set of curvy, satin-covered benches, marking a stark contrast to the previous season’s “fairytale rave” aesthetic. However, this simplicity served as the backdrop for a collection that celebrated a new eclecticism, favoring bold juxtapositions and individual expression over uncluttered themes. Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons described the collection as a response to the age of algorithms, stressing the need to move away from derivative aesthetics. Instead, they embraced the unpredictability of human nature, inviting an exploration of the meaning of choice and personal creativity. No look was repetitive in this collection, combining opposites such as elegance and surrealism, refinement and fetishism. Stylistic choices, such as trompe l’oeil and lopsided silhouettes, reflected an ‘instinctive’ approach to dressing, with pieces that looked as if they had “lived in.” The collection was characterized by the fusion of contrasting ideas, such as an Argyll sweater paired with a leather skirt, creating a visually dizzying and disorienting effect, similar to the experience of scrolling through Instagram. Raf Simons described each individual as a “superhero”, emphasizing the power of transformation through clothing and personal expression. Clothes become a means of communicating strength and authority, reflecting the complexity of contemporary identity in a world full of infinite choices and possibilities.
