Miu Miu

PARIS, March 4, 2007
By Nicole Phelps
This was an intentionally conceptual show, but it started simply enough: The first look out was a camel suit with a slightly nipped waist and rounded hips over a pleated knee-length skirt—its girth perhaps a little exaggerated—worn with knee socks and spectator pumps.

From there, however, the molded shapes turned more pronounced, almost old-ladyish, in fact…. And then came the provocatively sheer, flesh-tone metallic twinsets and skirts…followed by rubbery leather coats in lipstick pinks and reds.

Miuccia Prada returned her attention to the natural/synthetic dichotomy that informed her Prada show (and many other designers' this season), with the accent falling heavily this time on the man-made. In reality, those A-line coats were 100 percent real leather, but lined with neoprene to look spongy and fake.

What was her point? "It's a vision of what's happening in the world right now with women," she said after the show. "On videos and TV all of the women look fake. I wanted to show this plasticized vision, but filtered through classic pieces and sticking to tradition."

This translated to jackets and pants cut from a Lurex-shot quilted fabric that looked like nothing so much as your old granny's polyester housecoat (and appeared just as flammable). Cardigans and V-necks were tucked into the top of nude pantyhose, the waistbands of which were exposed above low-slung skirts. Strapless dresses came with deflated, folded-over bra cups, as if to suggest they would only fit correctly if filled with pneumatic silicone breasts.

Despite all the (matron-meets-) porn-star allusions, this wasn't a sexy collection. And it won't necessarily be easy to wear, either. But in her characteristically thoughtful style, Prada has given everyone plenty to ponder on their long plane ride home.