Milan Update: What Junior Apparel Buyers Can Learn from the Prada Spring Show
Only Prada can take what the rest of the world considers tacky and make it work in a new collection. Case in point: Prada’s recent spring show in Milan. The inspiration? Sketchy references to crumbling Italian hotels with checkered floors, seaside postcards, clear plastics and raw edges, all blended together in a unique twist that only Prada could pull off successfully.
Even the runway itself was crafted to evoke the saturated tones of a seaside hotel, with a classical façade running the length of the runway. Then came the models sporting fly-away cropped jackets worn over long white tees with Bermudas. A mélange of clear plastic platform sandals, floral mini-shifts, floaty halter tops and souvenir postcard scenes printed on jackets gave a playful new perspective to Prada’s collection without losing the proper couturier look.
For wholesale fashion apparel buyers, the show was a refreshing twist on well established fabrics and styles, and may provide junior fashion apparel buyers’ new fodder for how they merchandise their collections this spring. If nothing else, it may precipitate orders of clear plastic footwear from wholesale fashion buyers looking to cash in on the Prada look.
Trendy junior fashions for spring 2010 may include grey florals and blue-hued postcard scenes, as well as layered spring looks that incorporate Bermudas with platform sandals. Also, look for a return of the halter top, paired with jangly chandelier-style beads. The look is raw and edgy, yet feminine; tacky and superfluous yet grounded. Overall, for junior clothing wholesale buyers, such as Fashion Spot LA, Prada has done it again!