Miuccia Prada has dressed generations of women in her unique brand of cerebral chic, but this month Vogue is toasting Miuccia herself. As she graces the cover of Vogue, rewind through 15 of her best outfits—from feather-trim trench coats to flatform sandals and neon fringing—that encapsulate her iconoclastic style.
The colorful satin Met Gala set, May 2023
In a sea of black and white, bridal-inspired ensembles, Mrs. Prada attended the Met Gala 2023 in honor of Karl Lagerfeld wearing a head-turning outfit that was very her. The look comprised a marigold satin Mandarin-collared shirt, bright green satin tailored trousers, green satin court pumps, and a dramatic gold chain necklace of exaggerated proportions.
The leather jacket and pleated skirt set, April 2022
A forever staple in Mrs Prada’s extensive wardrobe, the pleated skirt set has had a leather update care of Miuccia. At the opening of the Human Brains: It Begins With An Idea exhibition at Fondazione Prada with her husband Patrizio Bertelli, the designer looked preppy, cool and chic all at once in look 10 from Miu Miu’s spring 2022 collection.
The chocolate brown suit, May 2019
On the occasion of Prada s resort 2020 show in New York, Mrs. Prada took to the runway in a double breasted dark brown jacket and matching cigarette pants. Like the collection, the look was unfussy and devoid of the embellishments the house is often known for, but still distinctly Prada—from the jacket s boxy silhouette to the logo on the chest.
The shocking pink shirtdress, June 2018
Miuccia stepped out in a fuchsia shirtdress for the finale of Miu Miu’s 2019 Paris Cruise show in June 2018—a blazing exclamation point on a collection dedicated equally to ankle-skimming gowns and abbreviated hotpants. Note the upper-arm bracelet worn atop the sleeve and signature sleek stilettos.
The lime-green Met Gala look, May 2018
Miuccia wasn’t about episcopal tailoring or a gilded colour palette for 2018’s Met Gala, themed Heavenly Bodies and the Catholic Imagination. Instead, she wore neon green fringing–riffing off look 40 from Prada’s fall 2018 collection.
The scarlet skirt suit, March 2018
A very Miuccia entrance: scarlet Prada skirt suit (with the jacket wrapped, rather than fastened), black opaque tights and the trusty strappy silver sandals she would wear to the Met Gala two months later.
The statement coat, September 2017
Oversized lapels? check. Chunky embellishments, classic pumps, and a standard button down? check, check, check. At the Green Carpet Fashion Awards in 2017, Miucci proved that when your coat is a showstopper, little else is needed to complete an elevated, aspirational look.
The smartest casuals, January 2017
If you’re ever in need of a refresher on how to wear chunky flats, look to Prada’s final bow at the house’s fall 2017 menswear show in Milan. The feather-trim pastel knee skirt, mandarin-collar blouse, and grey cashmere V-neck are the holy trinity of polished daywear.
The marabou-trim trench, October 2016
Miuccia’s marabou-trim trench coat and climbing sandals served as a lesson in finessing classic Prada style, which wasn’t lost on anyone stationed front row for Miu Miu’s spring 2017 runway show in Paris.
The leather jacket and pleated skirt, March 2014
Mrs. Prada was doing statement beige way back in 2014 with the leather bowling jacket. Her deft wardrobe assemblage gives a grounding in how to pull off the new-era cult shade–a flash of primrose yellow and sinple late ’90s-style heels go a long way.
Leather and layers, March 2009
Mrs. Prada was nothing if not festive for the Extreme Beauty in Vogue party, held in Milan in 2009. she topped her silk skirt and knit top with an embroidered slit-leather dress from Prada s fall 2009 collection. Studded sky-high Mary Janes made the look even more arresting.
The prom skirt, October 2007
When Miuccia does the ballerina silhouette it’s anything but saccharine. At the Hammer Museum’s Gala in the Garden in 2007, her just-below-the-knee skirt became the artistic focal point of an otherwise straightforward look.
The headband, June 2004
Cast your mind back to the 2004 CFDA Fashion Awards in New York, when Mrs. Prada demonstrated how to dress up a fine knit with lashings of costume jewellery. Her crowning glory? That regal headband, offset by an equally luminous smile.
The chandelier drop earrings, sandals and a cocktail, 1996
Rewind to 1996: Miuccia has just enjoyed a cocktail backstage at a Miu Miu show in New York. The look is, of course, a perfect example of the era’s uptown style, but forget the fashion for now–this is one of those candid ’90s mood moments that Pinterest exists for.
Snakeprint and purple hosiery, October 1996
Next up in 1996, the VH1 Fashion Awards in New York (where David Bowie performed “Fashion” in a McQueen Union Jack dress coat), with more Miuccia magic by way of red platforms, purple hosiery, a snakeskin jacket, and another enormous smile.
The sheer pastel shift, 1993
This life-affirming early ’90s Miu Miu flashback sees Miuccia in a sheer pastel shift (exhibiting her now signature love of black opaque tights), and casually accessorising with supermodels Kate Moss and Linda Evangelista, who are crucially seen wearing similar, but not the same looks.