“You know, it’s strange – every morning when I wake up, I have to decide whether I am a 15-year-old girl or an old lady nearing death,” says legendary designer Miuccia Prada.
At 74 years old, the woman who built an empire in the fashion world maintains that her creative drive has not diminished. The desire to create something new and exceptional remains strong.
She is the featured guest in the latest issue of American Vogue. According to the magazine’s journalist, Miuccia Prada, with her style and mannerisms, brings to mind the late Queen Elizabeth of Great Britain.
The designer says that fashion is one-third of her life. Alongside her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, she created and runs the two renowned labels, Prada and Miu Miu, overseeing Prada Group, a global luxury brand with an annual revenue of $4.5 billion and 13,000 employees.
According to Prada, the remaining essential parts of her life include “culture and the foundation,” as well as family and friends.
“I try to make my life useful,” says the designer. Prada likes the word “useful” but dislikes the word “luxury,” as she finds it vulgar.
Here’s something unusual about Miuccia Prada – she initially felt ashamed of being a designer and considered creating clothes a shameful activity:
“I always believed there were only two noble professions – politics and medicine. Designing? It was a nightmare for me, but I did it anyway. I was very ashamed, but my love for beautiful things prevailed,” Prada admits.
The designer wanted to stand out and be different. In the politically active 1960s in Italy, while people wore jeans to demonstrations, Miuccia was known for wearing Yves Saint Laurent.
“Some people don’t want to do what others do; I was like that, and it’s probably a deep part of me,” says the designer.
Regarding the secret to Prada and Bertelli’s success, Miuccia Prada says it’s likely because they love working. They enjoy being active. Her signature was evident in her first collection through contrasting colors and masculine silhouettes, which opposed the untouched, rigid lines of Armani, and the style of Versace and Dolce & Gabbana.
“I don’t imagine women as beautiful silhouettes – no. I try to respect women, not by creating super-sexy clothing, but by designing something creative, something useful and comfortable,” says the designer.
Miuccia Prada believes the fashion world should move away from the beauty standards and clichés that still exist in the industry.
“Even now, fashion sets beauty clichés, but that should fully disappear – yes, it needs to change,” she explains.
She never viewed her beloved profession as a way to become rich and famous, but rather as something she loved deeply and still feels passionate about to this day.
“We never worked to become famous or rich. We worked to create something interesting and something that would bring us joy,” says Miuccia Prada.
