Prada Just Gave This Polarizing Skinny Pants Look Its Stamp Of Approval

There was much anticipation for Prada’s Spring/Summer 2023 runway show after guests received a mysterious black camera box, which served as the official show invite, that said “Touch of Crude by Nicolas Winding Refn.” (The film director partnered with Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons on visuals for the show this season.) Once everyone settled into their seats in the dimly lit environment, the first look that came down the catwalk — a model wore a slim-fit, collar jumpsuit with a tailored coat and Mary Janes — served as both the palette cleanser and guide to the rest of the collection.

For Spring/Summer 2023, Miuccia and Simons continued to draw upon their collaborative design partnership in order to bring Prada’s loyal fanbase something both familiar and new. That freshness was reflected in the aforementioned polished jumpsuit, which could be styled in various ways. (The skinny pants look might also incite various opinions from customers, as the focus has been on flares and wide-leg silhouettes in the last few years.) When styling, just follow Prada’s lead: for work, throw it on with a blazer; for play, layer it under a dainty sheer lace dress. And whichever combination you choose, don’t forget to accessorize with the label’s new iterations of its classic tote or Supernova bag in key lime green.

The blurring of a 9-to-5 look and occasion wear was purposeful as the Prada show notes state, “day and evening clothes cross-pollinate, the signs and signifiers of each shifting ... clothes for the intimacy of the home [that come] in delicate pastel tones fuse with outerwear, a blurring of distinct realities, while a notion of Prada uniform, in bodysuits of poplin shirting in industrial colors, denotes a minimized reality.”

Further down in the lineup, fans were treated to Simons’ influence on several of Prada’s go-to pieces — some models walked out in leather coat dresses with expansive, exaggerated collars to showcase one’s collarbones. Meanwhile, others slipped into unexpected dresses with bloom motifs, which were made from a paper-based fabric. The designers took on the bubble hem trend that surfaced at New York Fashion Week, too, presenting dove gray silky mini dresses that had an intricate fold along the strapless band.

In the past, Miuccia and Simons have discussed and presented collections on the topics of uniforms and gender identity — you’ll see this in the co-creative directors Spring 2021 collection and Fall 2022 collection, respectively. These conversations continued to bleed into next season’s lineup as fans will recognize a lot of Miuccia’s ladylike signatures — turn to Looks 9 and 10 for reference. The whole sweater over a collared shirt complete with a skirt reflected Miuccia’s own personal uniform while Looks 32 and 33 gave her elegant signatures a slightly harder edge via a coordinating leather top and bottom. The polarity here spoke to the collection’s overall theme of exploring the space between “minimalism and decoration, occasion and everyday,” according to the show notes.

For those who loved the Italian house’s mesh-trimmed miniskirts from the Fall 2022 presentation, the look was back, albeit with a twist, for spring. This time around, the style came in double layered mix fabrication or was completely sheer and styled with black undergarments and an equally transparent knit sweater. This super clean, ‘90s minimalist vibe is sure to be a hit with Prada’s core customers who want to tap into the sensual side of fashion. Again, each outfit was styled out with Mary Jane pumps, which came in all colors of the rainbow at Prada, signaling that this classic footwear will continue to be a good seller for brands.

Additionally, if you didn’t get your hands on the storied Prada triangle white tank yet, not to worry: The upcoming spring lineup will still offer you a logo basic in the form of a ribbed long-sleeve top. (Displayed front and center on each of the pieces is the house’s callout, Prada Milano, written in simple white text to serve as a more subtle touch than its typical shining geometric patch.) This experimentation with where to place the label’s unmistakable branding likely came courtesy of Simons, who as Miuccia noted in previous interviews, has an obsession with Prada’s triangle logo.

Ahead, peruse through Prada’s Spring/Summer 2023 collection that reflect the legendary label’s latest symbiotic creations.