American Hot Rods provided fiery inspiration for Miuccia Prada's s/s 2012 collection.
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The first thing that struck everyone who walked into the via Fogazzaro space for Prada's show, apart from the very welcome glass of prosecco, were the cars. Three life-sized, playschool-coloured polystyrene cars that provided front row seats for a lucky few. Between them and the colourful paint splashes, giving the effect of a workshop floor, we had a sneaking suspicion about where the inspiration for spring's offering may have come from.
The starting point was 1950s American Hot Rods, a high-fashion take on Grease if you will. Flames licked the bottom of skirts and stoodout from the back of the shoes, car print covered pretty pleated dresses with smocked waists and sleeveless blouses, cars were embroidered onto leather clutch bags and pencil skirts, or embroidered onto the back of satin bomber jackets that had coloured crystals running along the seasms. The Pink Ladies never looked so good.
And, if cars aren't your thing, there were plenty of downright beautiful pieces to choose from. The dress coats and cropped, sporty jackets, satin or felt at the back and covered with a retro, floral embroidery at the front were wonderful. The same embroidery cropped up in panels on plet fronted, lightweight blouses and on skirts which divided firmly into two camps; the pencil, satin and worn with bandeau bra tops, or pleated in chiffon or leather.
Miuccia's collections are often directional and challenging, incredible to look at but trickier for workaday wear - take last season's fish scale sequins and suede and snakeskin boots for example. But this was a show that you could watch and make a mental shopping list, and we need to start saving. We made a very, very long list.
