Crystallized Runway Fashion

Giant black and white projections of crystal chandeliers faded into doorways that faded into sunny beaches and then returned to chandeliers at the Prada Spring 2010 show in Milan. Miuccia Prada is rarely so literal with her imagery and influences, but out marched a series of girls wearing, at first, futuristic gunmetal grey outfits, followed by a procession of white and silver garments studded and dripping in chunky chandelier-like crystals; then came silk beach printed jackets and short-shorts.

The designer explained what may have seemed like an unusal combination for the Prada Spring 2010 show: “Beach and antiquity--high and low--it is all the same.”

The focus of the Prada Spring 2010 show was crystal clear. Clear crystals spilled over shoes and handbags, and Prada told Suzy Menkes backstage, “It is supposed to be an ironic take--sometimes nostalgic, for a contemporary take on antiquity for those who don’t understand the beauty of the past.”