It turns out that Prada‘s AW20 show on was the last to be created solely by Miuccia Prada. Rumours that Raf Simons would be joining the company in some capacity, which have swirled since the house’s menswear show in January, were confirmed today in a press conference in Milan.
Raf will be joining Prada as co-creative Director, working alongside Miuccia on the brand’s collections, their first being next season’s AW21 womenswear show in September. Raf will continue to design his namesake menswear line, as he did during his time as Creative Director at Jil Sander, Dior and most recently, Calvin Klein.
Raf and Miuccia’s shared history goes way back. During Raf’s critically and commercially acclaimed tenure at Jil Sander, the company was part of the Prada Group. The success of their previous working relationship is partly why Raf at Prada — despite the unconventional creative arrangement — seems a more apt fit than his recent, short-lived stint in New York at Calvin Klein, where he tried to reimagine the American fashion giant in a more avant-garde, European style. Though his efforts were applauded by the critic, he left after only four seasons at the company, still in the process of reinventing it.
What it may do though is pave the way for Raf to take over designing the full collection — if and when Miuccia eventually retires. Whether her AW20 show will go down in history as her swan song remains to be seen. What it will serve as, however, is a timeless reminder of the codes she created, the house she built, and intellectual energy she brought to fashion.