Prada is one of the oldest and largest luxury fashion houses, founded in 1913 by Mario Prada in Milan, Italy. Similarly to other historic fashion houses, the Italian clothing brand started out as a shop (in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II) selling leather goods, which now designs and manufactures high-end ready-to-wear clothing, leather bags, footwear, and perfumes.

Since 1978, the fashion house has been led by Mario Prada’s granddaughter, Miuccia Prada (Maria Bianchi), who brought Prada to relevance and made it the internationally known luxury brand we now know.

Today, Prada is sold in over 70 countries via more than 635 physical stores and online shops, as well as department stores worldwide. The family-owned Prada group has labels like Miu Miu, Church’s, and Prada Luna Rossa under its helm.

April 2020 marked a new creative era for Prada when for the first time, the sole head designer Miuccia Prada appointed Belgian designer Raf Simons to work along her as a co-creative director with equal creative input.

Prada was founded in 1913, in Milan, Italy.

Yes, Prada is an Italian luxury clothing brand that was established in Milan, Italy, in 1913.

Prada is owned by The Prada Group (Prada S.p.A.) currently led by Miuccia Prada, the granddaughter of Prada’s founder Mario Prada, and her husband, Patrizio Bertelli.

Even though Prada is listed and publicly traded on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (20%), the majority of 80% is still owned by Prada Holding S.p.A., which allows the luxury fashion house to maintain creative control over its design.

Prada’s most iconic designs include Prada nylon bags and Prada Bowler bags — cult items of the Y2K style of the 2000s, spotted on celebrities Bella Hadid, Kendall Jenner, and Kim Kardashian. Prada’s iconic trademarks — nylon fabric and the metal triangle Prada logo — are still a common theme in its collections, from Prada tank tops to bucket hats to jackets.

Classic designs like the Prada crossbody bag and Prada Saffiano are popular to this day, whereas perfumes Prada Candy for women and Prada Luna Rossa for men, launched in 2004 and 2006, respectively, have been favored ever since.

Prada is a luxury fashion brand that got its name from its founder, Mario Prada.

The best way to clean your Prada bag is to use a cloth and a mix of soap and water to remove any stains. Even though your Prada nylon bag will most likely survive a trip to the washing machine, it is safer to use a cloth and dish soap to avoid any damage.

As the first step, apply some pressure to gently remove any stains; avoid the leather parts, such as the handles, as these aren’t waterproof. Most Prada nylon bags come with a nylon lining; if that is the case, you can repeat the same process with the inner fabric layer.

After cleaning your bag with a cloth and soap, leave it to dry naturally; don’t use a hairdryer or put it on an electric heater, as this can damage the bag, and don’t leave it in the sun; it can cause the color to fade.

The most important detail to check when checking if your Prada bag is real is its logo and the overall quality and craftsmanship. Make sure that both the triangle metal Prada logo, as well as the writing on it, is completely straight and reads: Prada, Milano, Dal 1913, and that the color of the logo is the same as the color of the bag itself.

Prada shoes run mostly true to the size; however, it completely depends on the type of shoes you want to purchase. Prada footwear includes everything from sneakers to heels to sandals and boots, so it is hard to have one unified answer. But, the general consensus seems that Prada boots and loafers tend to run large. In contrast, Prada heels run small or narrow, and Prada sneakers are mostly true to their size.

Either way, buying shoes online can be tricky, so I recommend going to the store to try them on for the perfect fit. Moreover, compare the sizing chart provided on Prada’s website, as the difference can also come from the sizing translation between the E.U. and U.S.

Prada tends to be cheaper in Italy, as, more often than not, products in the country of origin come at better prices due to lower operational costs, and Prada is based in Italy. As an example, let’s look at some of the most iconic Prada designs.

Starting with footwear, the Prada America’s Cup Original Sneaker costs €670 when bought via the Prada e-commerce store in Italy, whereas the same pair, when purchased via the U.S. website, is $925, which comes to roughly €946, as of October 2022.

And are Prada bags cheaper in Italy? Yes, it seems to be — whereas the iconic Prada Nylon bag re-edition 2000 comes at €890 in Italy, the exact same bag retails at $1,250 in Prada’s U.S. online store, which is roughly €1278 (as of October 2022). So, if you or your friends and family are planning a trip across the pond, I recommend buying Prada locally.

You can buy Prada directly at Prada’s online shop.