Conversations lead to connections, connections lead to communities, and communities create — which is exactly what the Prada Men’s and Women’s Fall Winter 2024 Collection aims to foster.
The saying “no man is an island” is one that has largely rung true throughout the annals of human history — every successful civilisation is held in place by extensive dialogue and communication. One could argue that the Roman Empire was an example of this — granted, sub-par leadership was one of the key factors that sounded the death knell for one of humanity’s greatest early civilisations, but it would not be remiss to say that the Empire’s vastness made communication difficult, and therefore contributed greatly to its demise.
Hence, the importance of clear, honest communication is something that is appreciated across many facets of life, even today. Within the arena of fashion, Prada recognises this — candid human interaction lies at the core of the house’s identity, and forms the foundation of its expression in fashion.
Considering Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons have partnered up as co-creative directors of the house since 2020, it is clear that Prada practices what they preach. While every Prada collection is a flowing exchange of opinions and ideas, the act of dialogue takes centre-stage in its Men’s and Women’s Fall Winter 2024 campaign — Prada’s visual interpretation of the here and now.
The campaign is shot by veteran photographer Willy Vanderperre, who is familiar with both Raf Simons’ and Prada’s works. In combination with a script written by American filmmaker-writer Miranda July and Oscar-nominated documentary director Garrett Bradley, the campaign sees an ensemble cast — comprising stars such as Damson Idris, Hunter Schafer and Letitia Wright — captured in intimate, unrehearsed interactions. These conversations take place both face-to-face and over the phone, capturing the fictive spirit of different eras, narrative cinema, and the verity of documentary.
Prada’s Fall Winter 2024 campaign also extends into reality, capturing dialogue in a more active light through conversation cards proposing discussion topics amongst friends. Through July’s mysterious, voice-only confessions of fragmented, fictive narratives, these conversations are either seen in images or partially heard — remaining tantalisingly out of reach, they are an invitation to connect the dots through imagination.
While the campaign imagery is informal and simple, its simplicity mirrors the simplicity of the human impulse to connect, opine, listen, and learn — highlighting how dialogue transforms the individual into a broader collective, from which creativity springs forth.
Once you are done with this story, click here to catch up with our June/July 2024 issue.