“I want to make clothes that are beautiful of course, but also clothes that are interesting and considered and intelligent and not out of place.” -Miuccia Prada

Mario Prada started his leather shop in 1913. The Prada name laid dormant until 1978 when Mario’s granddaughter, Miuccia, breathed a new life to the brand. Initially, Miuccia wanted little to do with the family business. She studied political science in college and was committed to a career in activism throughout her 20’s. Even still, she was taught to value craftsmanship and utilitarian design. She created her first design for a backpack in 1970. The fabric, called Pocone, used in this design was made to be water resistant. Miuccia expanded her designs to handbags and in 1989 she launched her first ready to wear line.

Miuccia has always stayed true to her roots in women’s rights activism through her design. She believes female designers can better understand what other women would find beautiful. Her debut line was much more conservative than other brands at the time but still came across as powerful. Miuccia was an innovator from the start being one of the first high fashion lines to use nylon in their handbags. Her work was compared to the legendary Schiaparelli in the Met Museum’s exhibit, Schiaparelli and Prada: Impossible Conversations at the Met.