By Francesca Claybrook
Miuccia Prada’s Miu Miu collection featured a lot of oversized, boxy jackets and printed dresses. The color palate was limited to mostly black and white, with just a few additional colors – some mustard pieces, a few blue looks, and several rust colored outfits. As for the prints, Prada resurrected the swallow print from her Spring 2010 collection, enlarging the birds and giving them a forward-looking twist by making them sparkle. There were several other floral-inspired prints as well. Collars in contrasting colors stood out from the jackets they went with, and shoulders were mostly enlarged and emphasized. Check it out:
This was the finale look, which I liked. The swallow pattern is beautiful, and the fact that it’s sequined gives it a little something extra. The fur additions at the shoulders I also like – they were featured on several pieces, but I think this look works the best. I also liked that from the front, these details look like a fur shrug, but when you catch a glimpse of the back of the garments you can see that it’s actually a part of the dress. Very clever.
There were also many of these fabric panels that encased the models’ hips. I don’t know what exactly to call them; they’re not quite a belt but definitely not a skirt. Perhaps they’re a wrap. I like the look more here than some that came later where the wrap was made of fur. Although it’s an inventive take on a fabric that has already walked so many of the runways, it was just too bulky and awkward for me.
Many of the oversized jackets were paired with white collars, which I really liked. You all know I’m not a fan of overly boxy cuts, but I did like the contrast of the dark fabric with the stark white of the collar. I’m also glad this look isn’t layered over anything else, which I think would have taken away from it.
Since the sleeves are so big, and have such a beautiful pattern on them, I was happy to see that the rest of this dress was kept simple: plain black fabric, and fitted instead of being oversized as well. That way the sleeves themselves are emphasized, rather than creating the effect of a dress that’s just enormous all over.
You can see the entire Miu Miu collection right here.