Simply Abu Dhabi XXII

2 8 3 S I M P LY A B U DH A B I PRADA SS 2016 MENSWEAR I talian born fashion designer Miuccia Prada was the youngest granddaughter of Mario Prada who started the Prada fashion line in 1913. She first dazzled the fashion world in 1985 with a series of black nylon handbags and backpacks; today, with her firmly at the helm, Prada is a billion-dollar company. Much of what sets Prada apart from the rest of the fashion world is her seeming disregard for the fashion industry. Prada has always blazed her own trail and demonstrated a fearlessness in trying new styles. Her experimentation once included a raincoat that was transparent until it became wet, at which point it turned opaque. "If you want to know what a season is about, you don't miss the Prada show," one fashion director told TIMEmagazine. "She never follows anyone else's lead, just her own original energy. Her collections are completely an expression of herself." So it’s unsurprising, then, that Prada presented her menswear and womenswear for spring/summer 2016 together, immediately introducing one of the collection’s main themes: the fusion of opposites. Prada travels through time for spring/summer 2016, with a menswear collection that delivers boyish clothes created through Prada’s adult gaze. Child-like knit sweaters feature racing cars, bouncing rabbits and zooming rocket motifs, the innocent naivety of which contrasts with the high-tech materials, leather jackets and shorts that bring a touch of maturity.