Prada's Latest Men's Collection Will Make You Do a Double Take
A show that challenges the viewer to question, Raf Simons and Miuccia Prada stopped to consider a Spring/Summer 2025 collection in which small details play a large role.
The power of observation guides the concept of Prada's Spring/Summer 2025 show. Inside the Fondazione Prada, a youthful array of models strutted along an elevated catwalk surrounded by a white picket fence railing. The venue, which resembled a surrealist painting, reflected the line itself—a collection that challenged the viewer to question the reality of fashion as we know it.
The Prada Men's Spring/Summer 2025 show featured a series of fantastical optical illusions that drew the audience's attention, beckoning viewers to take a closer look at each and every piece as it appeared on the runway. Bootcut trousers—which seemed like an average take on the style at first—featured subtle painted-on trompe l'oeil belts. Pullover vests that appeared to be shaded with sweat and bleeding dye were actually custom-made prints. Some models wore knitwear that appeared to be layered at first glance but, in fact, were single garments stitched together. Many pieces featured accentuated cuffs that appeared to defy gravity but were sculpted using simple built-in wiring. The final illusion came in the eyewear, as seen in the eye-catching wraparound lenses featuring printed imagery reminiscent of a beachy getaway. In the realm of optical tricks, Prada's mastery of detail work was on full display this weekend in Milan.
Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons managed to perfectly synthesize their aesthetics into a true masterpiece of a collection. Cotton knitwear sweaters in saturated colors contrasted with wrinkled shirts that became cropped and soft-textured leather jackets. Color blocking became an obsessive throughline in the collection, with standout hues shifting from beachy blues to muted browns to vivid yellows. Fitting was versatile, ranging from sleek, tight fits to oversized, boxy silhouettes, emphasizing the expansive scope of the collection. Utilitarian jackets and t-shirts featured paintings of mimes created by the artist Bernard Buffet—recalling Miuccia Prada's past as a mime.
Prada Men's Spring/Summer 2025, more so than any past collection, must be metabolized, experienced, and seen closely, recognizing every detail. Prada questions the format of the typical fashion show, challenging spectators to perceive what is authentic and what is reproduction. With this meticulous examination of clothing, Prada dismantles the world's speedy consumption of fashion and encourages the audience to slow down and take in every detail.
Numerous guests sat in the first row at the Prada Men's Spring/Summer 2024 fashion show. Special guests also included Matt Bomer, Mahmood, Sana, Evan Peters, Eric Chou, Dave, Chiwetel Ejiofor, Theaster Gates, Vinnie Hacker, Damson Idris, Jonah Hauer-King, Tan Jianci, Jaehyun, Joe Alwyn, Shen Menglu, Shen Mengyu, Win Metawin, David and Jessica Oyelowo, Reilly Opelka, Louis Partridge, Kentaro Sakaguchi, Venus Williams, Pu Wei, Byeon Wooseok, and Jack Wright.