It's pretty hard to top Balenciaga's insane runway show invites — cracked iPhone, anyone? — but Prada's putting in work.
Specifically, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons created a coat from paper to tease their Spring/Summer 2023 runway show, premiering during Milan Fashion Week on June 19.
The Prada coat invite is indeed made of paper, though it's not the same stuff that's used to print receipts or fill notebooks. It's hardy enough to be worn as a garment while being light enough to pack into a tiny envelope that'd normally hold a more conventional invite.
On the rear, that inimitable Prada triangle logo — a renewed source of inspiration for the Milanese luxury house in recent years — and bold text that says exactly what a runway show invite would normally say.
Prada's coat is giving Beuys, no doubt, at least in the sense of a loose-fitting overcoat being made of something rarely used to create garments.
Considering that the weather in Milan is currently nearing three figures, however, it'd probably be wiser to leave this in the hotel room.
Note that Prada isn't the first to make fashion out of an unconventional fiber a la Joseph Beuys: Faye Toogood of the eponymous brand once made a jacket out of an issue of the New York Times and Martin Margiela memorably made all kinda things out of upcycled stuff.
But, as far as Spring/Summer 2023 show invites go, Prada is leading the pack.
With funky foam clogs and Cassius Hirst collabs under Prada's belt, it's nice to see the luxury house having fun.
Prada collections under Miuccia and Raf have pushed the brand into further exploring kitschy patterns and material oddity, which is better than the usual fashion fare and, IMO, is nearly as interesting as the runway shows themselves. More fun invites, please.
