Prada S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in Milan in 1913 by Mario Prada. Originally a leather goods and luggage company, Prada evolved under Miuccia Prada into one of fashion's most intellectually rigorous houses, encompassing ready-to-wear, handbags, shoes, accessories, and fragrance.
Mario Prada opened his first leather goods shop in Milan’s Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in 1913, supplying the Italian aristocracy with walrus-skin trunks, handbags, and luxury accessories. The house remained a respected regional name until Miuccia Prada — Mario’s granddaughter — took over in 1978 alongside business partner Patrizio Bertelli and began its transformation into a global cultural phenomenon. Miuccia’s approach was anti-fashion in the most radical sense: she made the “ugly” beautiful, favored challenging conceptualism over easy glamour, and collaborated with artists, architects, and philosophers to give her collections an intellectual depth rare in the luxury industry. The collaboration between Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, formalized in 2020, has continued to push the house toward a rigorous examination of clothing’s role in contemporary identity — making Prada one of the most discussed creative forces in fashion today.
