Prada Men’s Spring 2023 Milan

This leggy show went long on short shorts and tablecloth checks. Prada Men’s Spring 2023 in Milan.

Watching guests file into Prada’s runway theater in Milan, it’s obvious that fashion-forward men are embracing shorts, finishing them off with a variety of footwear: most often dress shoes and socks, but also futuristic sneakers, and occasionally rubber boots.

Just like the invitation – a life-sized mock-up of a red gingham shirt made of waxy paper. Gingham appearing in some dozen of looks in this Spring/Summer 2023 collection from Prada.

All unveiled in Prada Torre, the brand’s cathedral-like show space, redecorated with enormous rolls of eco-friendly white paper, with cut-out De Chirico-worthy windows and enclaves.

But first came the razor sharp, super 100 suits, neat and natty meetings of classic Prada materials and Raf Simons generous Belgium silhouette. All anchored with a marvelous new range of mock cowboy boot with up-turned toes, which will be hugely influential.

There was a time, 40 years ago, before Italian cuisine became fashionable when gingham was associated with cheap restaurants serving spaghetti Bolognese. So, it all felt rather brainy for a luxury brand like Prada, to ironically decontextualize the fabric and turn it into something smart. 

Yet despite all the witty irony this was far from a flawless show. The raging soundtrack mix of Sonic Youth felt bombastic rather than dramatic. And, in a newly influencer obsessed Prada, quite why the house decided to dress them in winter clothes was willfully eccentric. Seeing self-absorbed young men wandering around in the sweltering heat in heavy leather spy coats; cable wool sweaters and blazers with fur-encrusted leathers was pretty absurd.

Post-show, the stars all surged into the backstage –Jake Gyllenhaal, Jeff Goldblum and Rami Malek – wide eyed and wowing as they embraced Miuccia Prada.
 
They at least were in summer clothes.