Exploration, excitement, a voyage to new territories. Miuccia Prada toys with all the characteristics of a nautical atmosphere – colours, insignias, attitudes – to create a Miu Miu Maritime collection, refracting these archetypal and classic sartorial gestures into unexpected new forms.
Silhouetted against twin expanses of blue – the sky and the sea – the Miu Miu crew of feminine sailors are captured by Johnny Dufort, poised on the concrete ramparts of the Plage de Bon-Secours at Saint Malo – a bathing pool jutting into the sea, man meeting nature. At this point of embarkation, where land meets water, this Miu Miu crew gazes out to the distance in anticipation – of a new beginning, a different season, a different perspective, broadened horizons. As ever, these Miu Miu women are part of a collective, a group – here, they are a fleet, an admiralty, their clothing unifying them, signifying their bond.
The clothes are fresh, spirited, evocative of mariner attire yet exaggerated by the lens of fashion. Traditionally masculine gestures – the flap collar, wide shoulders, an air of utility – are abstracted to be fused with the inherently feminine, with softly rounded sleeves, lace detailing, ruffles, bows. Created for summer, the fabrics are crisp, light, honest: satin pois, popeline, hard-wearing cotton denim – in marine blue, white, palest pink, officer’s red. This visual language, inextricably tied to nautical attire, can simultaneously speak of other worlds – borrowed for children’s clothing and casual attire of the past, today those details evoke, in the subconscious, youthfulness, vacation, freedom.
Maritime speaks of possibilities – the commencement of a journey. The coastline is not the end of the land, but rather marks the start of something new. A collection of hope to enjoy this summer with hopefully a little bit of normality again …
For F/W 2020, Miuccia Prada already showed maritime influences on the runway. I got these two pieces that I absolutely love to wear.
Left: Sailor-collar lambswool bodysuit
Right: Sailor-collar cotton-poplin shirt
If I vetted your appetite for Saint Malo, have a look at the Thermes Marins de Saint Malo. The seaside resort launched their own skin-care line in 2005, that is an alliance of scientific research, naturalness, expertise and modern technology. In Switzerland the products are available at Import Parfumerie. Maritime cosmetics and maritime cosmetics go well together, don’t you think. Beauty, born of the sea…
LoL, Sandra
Photos: © Miu Miu, © Thermes Marins de Saint Malo
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