Prada launched its first women’s ready-to-wear collection in 1988.
The collection marked a major shift for the Milanese house, which had been founded as a luxury leather-goods business. Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli had already modernized the company’s approach to accessories, and ready-to-wear gave Prada a way to express a complete fashion identity through clothing as well as handbags and shoes.
The early womenswear designs became known for clean lines, narrow belts, dropped waistlines, and deliberately restrained colors. Rather than following the conspicuous glamour associated with many luxury labels of the period, Prada cultivated an intellectual, minimalist look that soon attracted attention from the international fashion press.
The year is sometimes confused with Prada’s earlier milestones: the company dates back to 1913, Miuccia Prada took control of the family business in 1978, and the house later introduced menswear. Prada’s first menswear show in Milan took place in 1998, a decade after the women’s ready-to-wear launch.