Prada presented their Autumn Winter 2011 Menswear collection inside an apartment complex erected within their headquarters in Milan. The show was conceived by Miuccia Prada and Fabio Zambernardi alongside longtime architectural collaborators OMA/AMO.
Built as a two-storey steel structure divided into interconnected rooms, the space allowed guests to observe models from multiple perspectives as they moved through hallways, balconies, and living spaces like real inhabitants. White linoleum floors, beige and black partition walls, pale blue ceilings and Milanese style balustrades reinforced the feeling of a lived-in home.
As Miuccia Prada explained, "With the arrival of Fall/Winter people will wear their clothes in their offices, on the streets, in the subways or at parties. But they will also wear them at home." The house represented a microcosm of city life, populated by a diverse cast of characters, each distinguished by a unique wardrobe. The show explored the relationship between society and the city, fashion and architecture & ultimately the connection between the body and the spaces we inhabit.
In classic Prada fashion, the collection abandoned the notion of a single masculine ideal in favor of contrasting personalities. Traveling salesmen, suburban fathers, retired military officers, gamblers, horse riders and eccentric bachelors all seemed to live under one roof, dressed as though they had been borrowing from one another's wardrobes.
As a result, structured three-button tailoring with broad, architectural shoulders sat alongside metallic lurex knitwear, while rich suede jackets featuring diamond leather inlays were paired with equestrian jodhpurs, military-inspired outerwear and oversized salesmen leather briefcases. Earthy shades of tobacco, camel, olive and charcoal dominated the collection, occasionally interrupted by shimmering metallic yarns. Proving that incompatible references could exist within the same wardrobe.
Seen here in Look 34, this deep V-neck sweater is knitted from a metallic lurex blend. Historically associated with disco and eveningwear, Lurex is a trademarked metallic yarn developed in the 1940s by laminating a thin metallic layer onto a synthetic film before twisting it with conventional fibers. The result is a lightweight yarn that produces a subtle shimmer without the weight or tarnishing associated with traditional metal threads.
Tagged Size 46