January saw creative directors, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons unveil the fashion giant’s Autumn/Winter 2023 menswear collection, which emphasises some of the style elements that define the company’s identity – its “Prada-ness”, so to speak, but is also born from the urgency they both felt to create garments linked to reality.

‘We want to create fashion with significance and a meaning – that is the value of fashion today,’ stated Miuccia at the end of the show. Milanese utilitarianism, austerity and sharp minimalism were evident in the gloomy, boxy tailoring including slim grey trousers and slick yet buoyant dark navy blazers. An unexpected softness burgeoned, however, from bare-chested models, who wore elongated detachable collars rather than shirts. ‘Creativity makes sense and is only useful when it discovers new things,’ she said.

The outerwear offered extreme silhouettes: parkas, duffle coats and Simon’s signature bomber jackets were either shrunken and shortened or enlarged and emphasised. Elsewhere, a sudden sense of comforting intimacy came in the form of a white duvet-like texture used on tops and overcoats – echoing the squishy pillow sent as the invitation to the show. The injection of warmth continued with cardigans in bright vitaminic green and orange paired with patent leather tote bags.

The location itself – the Deposito of Fondazione Prada – exemplified the dualism on which Miuccia and Simons have built the collection. The severe concrete aesthetic of the venue was lightened during the show by a rising ceiling which revealed bold Art Deco chandeliers and an airy atmosphere. However, it came down again in the finale, restoring the original claustrophobic feeling. ‘The most honest thing we can do is to create something useful for people today — to face reality and frame the idea of our reality through clothes,’ Miuccia concluded. And that’s where the Prada magic happens.