Miuccia Prada has a knack for giving familiar, ordinary items the Miu Miu treatment—that is, making them unexpected, desirable, viral even. See those chopped-up miniskirts and button-downs from 2022, the schoolmarm-ish sweaters and cardigans from 2023, or last season’s bullet bras. This season, she set her sights on the apron. Her starting point came as she reflected on the dignity of work; in particular, domestic and care work—often the domain of women, and often overlooked. 

She wanted to spotlight and elevate the humble, and what’s more humble than the apron? A universal symbol for women’s work, it is utilitarian in purpose, but it can also be decorative. Think back to how your grandmother would reach for one in a loud, giddy print instead of something plain just because it cheered up her domestic sphere. And so, Prada meshed both the functional and the decorative together in a collection that made the apron its cornerstone. The garment has often popped up in both Miu Miu and Prada collections past, but has never taken centrestage like this.  

She started with versions in hardy leathers and cotton drill, like those worn by production-line workers. The effect was amplified by the brightly coloured Formica tables and chairs that dotted the show space, like in a factory cafeteria. Overshirts and slacks further underscored the industrial feeling that Prada was going for. 

From there, she shifted into a sweeter mood, with schoolgirl pinafores in soft blues and greys, and colourful lunch-lady smocks printed with micro-florals. This being Prada, nothing ever got too twee—she countered that sweetness with chore jackets, chunky knits, poplin shirting and mannish trousers. Meanwhile, pieces in pastel, see-through lace balanced prettiness with an unexpected jolt of something more sensual. 

Some of the aprons got abstracted and reduced into little cardigan vests, worn over sleeveless men’s shirts and slacks, and juxtaposed with undergarments that were all bows and ribbons. This tension between hard and soft, and masculine and feminine, was a constant throughout—present in the chunky, heavy chains layered over silk scarves; as well as in the dresses worn with flat clogs and brogues, or with tool belts hung with D-rings. 

Towards the end, the humble became haute as the aprons came in silk cloqué and lace, like a new breed of little black cocktail dresses. Some came with glittering embellishments or floral-printed ruffles—the utilitarian serving as the foundation for a new kind of glamour. 

Model ALINA K/Mannequin
Make-up Artist CLARENCE LEE
Hairstylist KEN HONG/Evolve Salon
Photographer's Assistant KEVIN KHNG