For Spring/Summer 2023, Prada Goes Dark.

On September 22, the Italian luxury fashion business debuted its Spring/Summer 2023 womenswear collection with a more understated interpretation of Milan Fashion Week (compare this to Diesel’s high-profile show the day before, which featured an NSFW invitation in the form of a butt plug).

Co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons invited Danish filmmaker Nicolas Winding Refn and architectural firm AMO to the Milanese Fondazione Prada for the event, which aimed to evoke a noir atmosphere with its pitch-black backdrop and brown runway made of ripped paper. The topic of “Domestic Voyeurism” was highlighted by the venue’s surrounding peepholes and windows covered in fabric.

Before moving into livelier accessories and clothing, the first six pieces, which included skin-tight slacks and huge blazers in greys, established the show’s spooky, even sinister mood.

The ominous synth score by American producer/composer Cliff Martinez and the frightening Exte- and The Grudge-worthy eye lash extensions from makeup artist Pat McGrath contributed to the thriller/subversive atmosphere of the show. Who could have missed the nightgowns and pixie cuts that were a nod to Mia Farrow in Rosemary’s Baby?

Some lightness and softness only appeared in the middle of the lineup, with the arrival of satin slip dresses and translucent skirts that recalled Prada’s panelled skirts from its Fall/Winter 2022 collection. The show was dominated by muted colors like dark grey and nudes. But even these ostensibly “happier” outfits have subversive elements, such shredded and frayed hemlines.

You wonder: Why all the austerity? “Life and people create the clothing; not just adornment on the surface, but live signs and imprints. We are excited by the concept of clothing influenced by humanity, said Mrs. Prada in a statement.