The company was started in 1913 by Mario
Prada and his brother Martino as a leathergoods shop (Fratelli Prada
English: Prada Brothers) in Milan, Italy.Initially, the shop sold leather goods and imported English steamer trunks and
handbags.
Mario Prada did not believe that
women should have a role in business, and so he prevented female family members from entering into his company.
Ironically, Mario's son harbored no interest in the business, so it was his daughter
Luisa Prada who took the helm of Prada as his successor, and ran it for almost twenty years. Her own daughter,
Miuccia Prada, joined the company in 1970, eventually taking over for her mother in
1978.
Miuccia began making waterproof backpacks out of
Pocone.
She met Patrizio Bertelli in 1977, an Italian who had
begun his own leathergoods business at the age of 17, and he joined the company soon after. He advised Miuccia and she followed the
advice on better decisions for the Prada company. It was his advice to discontinue
importing English goods and to change the existing luggage styles.
Miuccia was allowed time to implement her creativity onto
design. She would go on to incorporate her ideas into the
house of Prada that would change it.
She released her first set of
backpacks and totes in 1979. They were made out of a tough military spec black
nylon that her grandfather had used as coverings for steamer trunks. Initial success was not instant, as they were hard to sell due to the lack of advertising and
high-prices, but the lines would go on to become her first
commercial hit.
Next, Miuccia and Bertelli sought out
wholesale accounts for the bags in upscale department stores and boutiques worldwide. In 1983, Prada opened a
second boutique in Milan reminiscent to the original shop, but with a sleek and modern contrast to it. It was opened in the
shopping district of Galleria Vittorio Emanuele
II.
The next year, Prada
released its definitive black nylon tote. A shoe line was also released in 1984. In 1985, Miuccia released the "
classic Prada handbag" that became an overnight sensation. Although practical and sturdy, its sleek lines and craftsmanship exuded an offhand aura of
luxury that has become the Prada
signature.
In 1987, Miuccia and Bertelli
married. Prada launched its women's ready-to-wear collection in 1989, and the designs came to be known for their dropped waistlines and narrow
belts. Prada's popularity
skyrocketed when the fashion world took notice of its clean lines, opulent fabrics, and basic
colors.
The logo for the label was not as obvious a
design element as those on bags from other prominent luxury brands such as Louis
Vuitton.
In 1992, the high fashion brand
Miu Miu, named after Miuccia's nickname, launched. Miu Miu catered to younger consumers, such as celebrities. By 1993 Prada was
awarded the Council of Fashion Designers of America award for
accessories.
Men's ready-to-wear collections were launched in the mid-1990s. In 1997, Prada posted the revenue at US$674 million. Another store in Milan opened that same
year. According to the
Wall Street Journal, Bertelli smashed the
windows of the store a day before the opening, after he had become deeply
unsatisfied with the set-up.
Miuccia Prada and Patriccio Bertelli
Prada nylon backpack 1979
Prada boutique
Classic prada handbag
Miu miu Shoes
Miu miu spring 1012 collection
I hope you enjoyed the prada story..
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XO Twenty9
