September 2023

Miu Miu the outpost for the most refined femininity. The brand was created by and named after Miuccia Prada as a sister brand of Prada to create an outlet for a more playful, youthful accessible and affordable line of clothing alongside the Prada line itself. The line was produced as a way to expand Miuccias’ designs to appeal onto a new cliental target audience of fashion lovers in their 20s and 30s. The brand was used as a creative outlet for Miuccia to create clothing as her own creative outlet. To introduce this narrative, they specifically chose youth models for ad campaigns and used a different less sophisticated approach to advertisement to connect with the correct audience the clothing was intended for. Unlike Prada at the time she decided to focus less on trends and focussed on designing clothing based on ‘the woman she wants to be.’

The brand started as a reflection of the designer to freely expressing her creativity and inner musing but over the years it has grown into a platform for inclusion and diversity for women empowerment. Initially in 1993 the brand wasn’t successful in the retail industry because they struggled to differentiate themselves from the Prada brand itself, because Miu Miu at this time didn’t have many strong brand identifiers.

This changed when the brand relocated for three seasons starting 1994 and because of Miuccias’ links with Prada the company was commercially viable. After, the brand naturally gained brand identifyers like these pieces which include colour detailed collars, the 60s as inspiration, stripes, babypinks and mini skirts (more recoginsable to todays brand identifyers).

Winter 2002 was one of the first collections which is still currently recognisable and distinguishable against Prada and after this the brand kept growing. A key piece in the collection was a clutch bag, which launched their line of accessories. It was made with the technique of gathering leather, called the mattelelaisse technique, and is still very popular to today’s collections. The spring summer 2022 collection for Miu Miu was what created an even bigger platform for the brand and how it has become extremely recognisable today. This particular show Mrs Prada used aspects of deconstructivism within her pieces, something she isn’t known for. This show was just after covid and critics stated she did it as a link to the current times to show the peoples rebellion to going back to work. It resonated aesthetically and emotionally to the viewers.

Prada as a brand portrays sophistication much more intently throughout their whole process of the production of designs, compared to Miu Mius spontaneously. The spontaneously of the brands designs is shown thought the outcomes produced. Miu Mius brand identity focuses on a mix of beautiful minimalism and avant-garde. The company produces a range of products from sunglasses, bags to perfume scents as-well as clothing.

The brand has stopped using fur and have been fur free since summer/ spring 2020 womens collection. This wasn’t long ago but because of the brands luxury influence from Prada they decided to keep fur in the collections. Miu Miu as a brand has developed massively and its progression of quality and sustainability is ever-growing to todays date.

Bershka

With their Instagram bio reading ’CREATIVITY. SELF EXPRESSION. STYLE.’ Bershka is exactly that. Their brand allows you to be expressive through fashion. Their products speak to the every generation, due to their brand being split into three categories – Bershka, Bershka Man and BSK (their teen brand) . Quoted from the website ”BSK is the brand for younger people, and always caters to the interests and needs of this public”.

They make up one of the seven brands in the Inditex Group and are responsible for 9% of the total revenue after only 18 years in business. Other brands in this group include Zara, Massimo Dutti and Pull&Bear.

Their concept is unique and striking, you feel magnetised to their stores which are placed very strategically in the most convenient locations. They have been merchandised in a way that compliments the architecture, the stores feel fresh, exciting. They make you feel a way that fashion should.

As previously mentioned, Bershka offer products for men, women and teens, they have something for everyone. Each piece is carefully constructed and versatile. From their website ”A wide spectrum ranging from casual wear to sports and from basic garments to more fashionable items.” This helps them to appeal to the maximum audience. Another way they do this is by offering ’extra’ products such as shoes and accessories. It’s a simple thing but smart.

Like many other brands in the 21st century, Bershka have a big focus on sustainability. From their website ”We are developing an ‘eco-efficient’ shop management model, by integrating sustainability and efficiency criteria, which will allow for a reduction in energy consumption of 20%.” This new model will be put in place from the stores to the factories to allow for more sustainable practices. Products are being made with more sustainable resources such as organic cotton. These products are marked with a specific label. It is also mentioned that products containing fur or leather have been resourced from farms raising animals for food and not the sole purpose of slaughtering them for their skin.

Overall, Bershka is the future of fashion. They are always testing the limits of fashion and producing exclusive lines and products. They have a strong stand on sustainability in all aspects of their company and offer products at a reasonable price.

Schiaparelli was founded by the unique creative Elsa Schiaparelli in 1927. It all began when she decided to create her first trompe l’œil motif on a hand-knit sweater for herself. They were the black and white pullover that boasts the illusion of a bow, pierced heart, skeleton, or a sailor tattoo. It was shortly after that in 1931 the brand’s first artist collaboration took place with Russian-French writer Elsa Triolet to create the iconic Aspirin Necklace. This catalyzed the brand’s identity as a champion of surrealism and the arts. Later on, Elsa collaborated with artists like Salvador Dalí pushing even further the barriers that divided fashion and art. Schiaparelli began a new movement and a new vision for what fashion could become, clothes for the sake of artistry and aesthetics rather than just luxury and practicality. Currently, the brand describes its offer as an alternative luxury proposal for the audience that seeks to acquire a long-lasting piece of fashion. Something to pass on down from generation not just as one inherits a bag but rather a masterpiece like a canvas or a sculpture.

What is most unique about it is its close relationship to the Fine Arts and how it showcases fashion as an art form rather than a superficial product. The garments look like a piece of art rather than a garment as it challenges the concept that a piece of clothing could be in a museum rather than a shop. The key to the brand’s vision lies in the strong creative concept behind every runway, which nowadays is being created by Daniel Roseberry. Some collections like Inferno (Haute Couture 2022) are perfect examples of how the brand aims to portray fashion as wearable pieces of art. The event displayed outfits with elements like lion heads, a guest completely painted in red and covered in Swarovski crystals (Doja Cat), and shape-innovative garments to refer to the gates of hell. This demonstrates just how important craftsmanship and artistry are for the brand.

Overall, Schiaparelli is an exciting brand that challenges the status quo and has managed to remain exciting throughout the decades. It adheres to the standards of traditional Parisian Haute Couture but with an innovative performative element that cannot be found in any other brand. To wear Schiaparelli means to wear a piece of art, a performance, and a unique garment all in one.