Sometimes, shoes are like baseball trading cards. Or, in millennial speak, like ’90s-era Pokemon.
For the true enthusiast, collecting them is a blood sport. And so it is in the upper echelons of fashion, where collecting Prada produces the same frenzy.
One of the best seasons was spring 2012, when Miuccia Prada debuted a 1950s-esque collection with shoes dubbed the “Hot Rods.” They were metal stilettoed heels inspired by vintage cars, some with sleek automobile-like hardware; others with cutout leather flames trailing off the heels. The $1,450 shoes became an instant hit — selling out within days — and are still highly collectible six years later.
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Fast forward to fall 2018, and Miuccia Prada has brought back the highly coveted heels, but in a more futuristic way rather than a retrospective.
The designer sent out colorful, neon clothes with shoes to match and a finale that put the flamed heels on full display, set against a windowed backdrop that was lit with neon signs outside the Fondazione Prada.
The first few looks featured the brand’s signature black nylon material, with neon chiffon accents underneath, but the collection quickly turned more DayGlo, with neon green fringed dresses, sporty skirts and jackets made more ladylike by their colorful tweed material, and bright technical vests and anoraks that closed the show.
The aforementioned flame heels were not the only shoes in the show: There were also technical shoe covers that doubled as leg warmers, reminiscent of those sleeping bag-like insulated slippers. There were Wellies topped with nylon drawstrings at the top. And there were simple two-strap sandals, done in bright colors and styled with contrasting ankle socks — a signature Prada styling technique that’s coincidentally become a big trend at other brands.
It was a collection that explored some of the brand’s greatest hits but in a refresh that’s sure to create waitlists once more.
See more styles on the runway from Prada’s fall 2018 Milan Fashion Week show.
