There’s No Place Like Home: Prada in Milan
The timeless elegance of the Prada brand and how its first ever store in Milan was and remains the center of the distinguished and honored brand that it is today
By Juliana O’Neil, Taylor Saks, and Alexis Christensen
Upon arrival at the Prada Milano Galleria Donna, one’s eyes will immediately fall on the display at the front of the store, where the light from the Galleria’s glass dome roof gleams. Prada’s most elegant and sophisticated bags, high-class coats, and chic shoes greet clients as they approach the store. If this is not enough to draw one into the Prada store, the employee at the entrance will gleefully open the door with a welcoming smile. Suddenly, beautiful designer bags and wallets of all different shapes and sizes surround the customer. Considering that the Prada Milano Galleria Donna is the original Prada store in Italy, which opened in 1913, it should come as no surprise that it is one of the most exquisite designer stores one will ever lay eyes on, and this is just the beginning. There are two entire floors for a limited quantity of product as Prada chooses to give each item its own space so clients can truly appreciate the pieces. Customers can experience the astonishing Prada store at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, 62, 20121 Milano MI from 10–19:30 on Mondays through Saturdays and 10:30–19:30 on Sundays.
In order for one to truly appreciate the magnificence of Prada, one must understand the history and culture embedded into the walls of the stores. While Prada stores are worldwide today, Mr. Mario Prada founded the first store in 1913 at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milano. According to the website Selfridges, Mr. Prada originally sold bags, trunks, and travel accessories. Eventually, the quality of the products gained Prada a great amount of prestige, and by 1919, Prada received the title of “Official Supplier of the Italian Royal Household.” Therefore, Prada incorporated the House of Savoy’s coat of arms and knotted rope design into its logo, which is still used to this day, as seen below.
Sadly, Mario Prada passed away in 1958 and has since been surpassed by his youngest granddaughter, Miuccia Prada. Since 1970, she has been named head designer of Prada and has primary ownership of the company alongside her husband, Patrizio Bertelli. However, before she decided to take over the family business, Miuccia studied to be a mime at the Piccola Teatro di Milano. She reluctantly traded acting for design, and the fashion world could not be more thankful. Miuccia has designed a variety of new collections, such as backpacks and totes, and brought a more minimalistic and traditional design to Prada. The functionality and quality of Miuccia’s designs are what enabled it to become one of the most luxurious companies in the world to date. In 1988, Prada’s first runway collection was critically acclaimed.
Currently, Prada offers its customers a variety of collections from which to choose. The luxurious handbag company sells 179 women’s bags online, ranging in price from €850 to €6.500. Prada’s newest bag is the Re-Edition 1978 Re-Nylon tote bag, which sells for €1.900. In addition to bags, Prada offers many clothing items, including dresses, tops, jackets, bottoms, and pajamas. In the early 2000s, Prada began selling eyewear, beauty, and fragrance products, as well as a full-size men’s department. According to the website Statista, by the end of 2023, Prada owned 428 stores and 20 franchises. Of these stores, 200 are in Europe, 196 are in the Asia Pacific, 102 are in the Americas, 85 are in Japan, and 23 are in the Middle East. Additionally, based on data collected in 2022, in 2022, Prada made €3.7 billion worth of sales, and in 2023, 31.3% of Prada’s sales were generated from Europe.
The Prada brand is controlled and owned by the Prada Group, which owns 6 different luxury brands, Prada being one of them. Their purpose statement from their website is as follows: “With a thoughtful and pioneering vision, the Prada Group is a global leader in luxury. We own some of the world’s most prestigious brands: Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, Car Shoe, Marchesi 1824, and Luna Rossa. By being DRIVERS of CHANGE, we offer an unconventional dialogue and interpretation of the contemporary as an expression of our way of doing business for PLANET, PEOPLE, and CULTURE.” They focus on change and being the leaders of this change. The Prada Group values, also from their website, are rethinking the rules, innovative tradition, spirit of excellence, uniqueness of talents, beyond boundaries, and sustainable paths.
After talking with a sweet Prada employee, Marina, these values are clear. Marina explained that the material nylon is extremely important for the brand because “it is really sustainable for [Prada].” Sustainability is something that seems to be at the forefront of the brand, as well as mixing traditional and new styles. Marina emphasized this by showing us many of the pieces in the store that were reimagined pieces from earlier collections, such as this reimagined 2005 nylon purse shown below. She explained that many of the “new” pieces are reimagined from older pieces, a way to mix the old and the new. Prada uses a mix of nylon and a certain kind of leather called saffiano leather. This specific type of leather is key to Prada’s image of sustainability, as this leather is much harder to damage or scratch. Pairing this type of leather with nylon makes their bags much more durable than other bags. As can be seen in the photo below of the purses, the strap is made out of saffiano and the body of the bag is made from nylon.
Although Marina has over 15 years of experience in the leather industry, this is only her third week at Prada. She explained that she decided to make the switch over to Prada from other designer brands due to the Milan Prada store’s rich history and unique collections. Since this Prada was the store’s first-ever location, it contains many collections that other stores around the world do not have access to. For example, this location holds a collection of umbrellas that were made in 1913. This collection is not available for sale but remains on display as one of the most historical pieces to draw customers in from around the world. Additionally, Prada recently launched its new project of gold jewelry at the beginning of 2023, which can only be found at a few locations around the world. This collection is made of all recycled gold, playing into the company’s prioritized sustainability model.
Generally, there are 40 employees on-site at the Prada store in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II; however, Marina explained that this number increases during busy weeks throughout the year. One of the busiest times for the Prada store located in Milan is the week of April 17. From April 18 to April 23, the Salone del Mobile Milano occurs in Rho Fiera. This event is a design promenade that attracts many clients interested in both design and fashion, and these clients find themselves checking out the first-ever Prada store throughout their week in Milan. Other busy times for the store are in June, when the men’s fashion show occurs, and in September, when the women’s fashion show takes place.
One thing Marina emphasized the most was the importance of customer experience. She said that she is constantly learning in her job to be able to give as much information to the customers as possible. She explained that, especially at this location, knowing about the product, as well as the history of the brand and the family, allows the customers to have a more fulfilling experience. Prada is the standard for fashion because of its model for sustainability, creativity, timeless pieces, and prioritization of customer satisfaction.
