Miu Miu’s mad mash-up

Mash-up fashion at Miu Miu in terms of era; attitude, music and message, in an unusual show, the penultimate fashion collection of the 29-day international fashion season that culminates this evening in Paris.

Fifties met eighties both literally and retro stylistically, as a cast appeared in oversized and dried out versions of the legendary beehive of Amy Winehouse. Though the underpinning concept echoed the photos of rebel youth by Swiss Karlheinz Weinberger, dating back a half-century.

As a result, out came acid-dyed denim jackets, worthy of an impoverished East German before the Wall came down, jumbled up with bulbous blousons in the gray micro-checks much favored by the Italian designer.

Several gals strutted around in baggy oversize topcoats and, faintly sloppy, car coats - all unironed and made in camel hair. There was the devil-may-care attitude of proud working class youth seen in Weinberger’s work apparent throughout.

For classier moments, pink jacquard cocktail décolleté dresses worn with turquoise glove leather booties. Nighttime done up with chain necklaces and Amy style chiffon string scarves. For protection against Alpine winds, humongous Stasi spy coats and cabans, in waxy ruby, gray and cobalt blue leathers – all ballooning off the shoulder.

Huge quantities of leather and oilskin and plenty of stretch. Asked how her fashion dovetailed with the current quest for sustainability in fashion?

“Hm…there will be a day when even leather will not be impossible. Sooner or later we will stop everything – even a vegetable has a soul!” she snorted.

It being Signora Prada, a great collection of footwear: mini space-age wellingtons with the Miu Miu logo, and patent leather Sunday lunch shoes with white socks.

“The idea was an alphabet of behavior and comportment – personalities and different characters. Taking fashion and making it more relevant now; mixing races and personalities,” said Miuccia after the show.

Some of the models even choose what they wear.

“If they looked happy, I’d let them wear their choices,” chuckled Prada, who had actress Elle Fanning open the show – and pick her clothes.

As did the front-row, where lurked, of course, the odd fashion victim. In a fashionably embarrassing moment in the backstage, both Marc Jacobs and artist Francesco Vezzoli wore the same comic book studded leather jacket by Prada.

An immense set by graphic designers M&M, of massive playing-card-shaped black-and-white images of figures in profiles hanging from the ceiling of the Palais d’Iéna in the 16th arrondissement. And a mixed cast that wandered the meandering catwalk as disco music collided with rockabilly. And therein lies the rub. While a noble experiment, the collection felt messy, and devoid of any real sense of style and elegance. Just to be clear, Miuccia Prada has been the single most influential fashion designer this century, however even great talents get things badly wrong occasionally. This was one of those days.

Miu Miu’s mad mash-up

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