Editor’s Note: We’re continuing our tradition of expanding the Vogue Runway archive by digitizing collections originally shot on film, with a quartet of shows from Miu Miu, which had back-to-back hits in 2023 with the pantless look and the neo-prep polo looks . First up is the brand’s runway debut. This Spring 1995 collection was originally presented in New York on October 30, 1994.
Perhaps it’s the fact that the label’s name is taken from Prada’s little nickname, but there has long been a feeling that Miu Miu is somehow a reflection of the designer’s inner self: that it functions like a kind of private playground. That feeling of intimate connection was only reinforced by Prada’s focus on deshabille at this label. Whether she was caught dressing or undressing is up for debate, but the early Miu Miu heroine found herself on the edge of womanhood, trying on both personas and clothes.
We know it from 1994 New Yorker profile, that at one point Ms. Prada’s wardrobe was largely supplied by the Ferrari sisters, high-end Milanese children’s tailors, “where she had dresses and coats made to order, scaled up to her size and with ‘corrections,’ such as a larger or smaller collar than the one that was there.” Many of the details used in children’s clothing, such as smocking, lace inserts and ruffles, also appear on lingerie. They also appear in Miu Miu’s Spring 1995 collection.
“The models,” noted Fashion At the time, they “looked like they were on their way to the beauty salon, with disheveled hair, long cotton bras and sheer dressing gowns,” but the collection really raised eyebrows at The Daily Mail, which called out its “seeing a whole series.” -worn by dresses over gaudy red underwear. If only they knew what was coming! Miu Miu’s pantless collection for Fall 2023 was one of the most influential collections of this year.
Already known for turning industrial nylon into a fashion fabric, Prada was looked to for its material sensibility. The first pair of skirt suits here were as shiny as lining fabrics. By look three, the model was already completely in place. Later, some garments appeared to be in process, with occasional petticoats sticking out from under the hems of the skirt or seams that looked as if they had been finished with pinking shears. Elsewhere, the use of elastic loop and button closures spoke to the physical act of controlling oneself – a reminder that even an ‘undone’ look is consciously put together; it’s a choice.
“Miu Miu is all about bad taste,” Prada said Fashion in 1995. “To me it’s either total elegance or total bad taste. We call Miu Miu the bad girls. They are innocent young girls who pretend to be elegant and don’t make it. Having no idea of what is right, I find that very sexy.”
