The Fall/Winter 2024 Prada collection, as it read in a press statement, was, in parts, “an exploration of notions of beauty.” In times of bellicose tincture, beauty is a concept that can go overlooked, not prioritised, yet in their Fall show, Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons committed to their intention of dissecting it and using all of its facets.

Embracing the prevailing fervor of bow-adorned-everything fuelled by social media, a black, sleeveless dress adorned with shiny bows emerged from the darkness, strutting to the beat of a gripping, goosebump-inducing soundtrack. Intellectual with her irony, Prada used the simple gesture of a bow to mock the zeitgeist with transparent literacy.

Clichés of femininity were recontextualised throughout the collection with the juxtaposition of delicacy and roughness. Fine feathers contrasted the rigidness of military hats, an exercise of power confrontation also evident in the pairing of sturdy boots with bloomers under dresses. Contrasts continued on panelled skirts with fronts in heavy tweed and backs in airy silk. Tailoring was crisp and linear, some with slightly defined waists through cuts across the button line.

Prada and Simons cited history as a guiding force in the construction of the collection. They emphasised the point by bringing into the collection iconic garments from the history of dress. Constricting biker jackets were paired with apron-like skirts, once again creating a clash of eras and contexts, as well as textures and materials.

Ms. Prada being the Queen of self-referencing (models walked down the runway emulating Ms. Prada’s iconic gesture of placing her left hand gracefully on her chest as to hold her coat), there was an excuse to explore the brand’s own history. Letterman jackets were embroidered with ‘1913’, the year of Prada’s foundation. A Spring/Summer 2001 bag strap was brought back from the archives to give the Prada Cleo a revamp. A new version of the bag emerged, this time featuring an elbow belt strap and adorned with floral motifs.

There was no need of being explicit or extremely graphic to raise a political statement with the collection. Mostly, what Simons and Prada suggestively stated, is that when beauty is jeopardised, it must be protected, yet valued even for its damaged truth—and this applies to any context. Crystal brooches shaped like olive branches suggest a call for peace, especially when observed retracting a knitted jumper to the point of exposing the chest.