The History And Foundation of Prada

Prada foundadtion history

Prada S.p.A. is an Italian fashion label specializing in luxury goods for men and women (ready-to-wear, leather accessories, shoes, luggage and hats), founded by Mario Prada. The label is referred to by some people as a status symbol.

The company was established in 1913 by Mario Prada and his brother Martino as a leathergoods shop - Fratelli Prada (English: Prada Brothers) - in Milan, Italy. Initially, the shop sold leather goods and imported English steamer trunks and handbags.

Mario Prada didn't believe that women should play a role in business, and so he prevented female family members from entering into his workshop. Ironically, Mario's son harbored no interest in the business, so it was his daughter Luisa Prada who took the helm of Prada as his successor, and ran it for almost twenty years. Her own daughter, Miuccia Prada, joined the company in 1970, eventually taking over for her mother in 1978.

Miuccia began making waterproof backpacks out of Pocone. She met Patrizio Bertelli in 1977, an Italian who had begun his own leathergoods business at the age of 17, and he joined the company soon after. He advised Miuccia—and she followed the advice—on better decisions for thecompany. It was his advice to discontinue importing English goods and to change the existing luggage styles.

In 1987, Miuccia and Bertelli married. Prada launched its women's ready-to-wear collection in 1989, and the designs came to be known for their dropped waistlines and narrow belts. Prada's popularity skyrocketed when the fashion world took notice of its clean lines, opulent fabrics, and basic colors.

The logo for the label was not as obvious a design element as those on bags from other prominent luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton. Its appeal, including the apparel, was its image of "anti-status" or "reverse snobbery