Miu Miu FW2025 as a Lesson in Costume and Cinema History

What is the essence of Miu Miu, and what distinguishes it from its once-older sister, Prada, which has long since become a very distant relative? The answer to both questions is the same — vintage aesthetics, which serve as the most important thing for all artistic and design work in both labels, but are used in very different ways. While Prada uses the style of certain decades of the 20th century as a working material for ironic deconstruction, Miu Miu uses vintage as a starting point for playful modern exercises, a dress-up game full of joy and mischief. In essence, this is what young girls do with their mother's and grandmother's wardrobes, selecting  items in which they can imagine themselves as someone else, in different circumstances, almost like in a movie. However, they treat such items in a completely different way, combining them with unexpected pieces from their own wardrobe.

This time, the wardrobe in question was more like great-grandmother’s, as the most noticeable elements of the collection — boas, and cloche hats — were reminiscent of the 1920s and 1930s, evoking images of Angelina Jolie in Clint Eastwood’s Changeling. Meanwhile, the models’ voluminous hairstyles and skirt suits were reminiscent of the 1960s and Tippi Hedren in Hitchcock's The Birds and Marnie. Actress Sarah Paulson, who strutted down the catwalk in a black silk trench cinched at the waist and a black cloche hat, fit perfectly into this film set atmosphere, or rather, a break between takes, when the actress is still in costume but has changed into her own shoes and put a robe over it, for example.

At the same time, there were pieces from completely different decades. Lou Doillon appeared in a knitted lurex sweater and long straight trousers, an outfit her mother, Jane Birkin, could have easily worn in the late 1970s or early 1980s. Meanwhile, Sunday Rose wore a straight leather knee-length skirt, high boots, and a checkered bomber jacket, reminiscent of something her mother, Nicole Kidman, might have worn in her youth. In other words, this whole game of dressing up also depended on the type of mother one had, what could be preserved in their wardrobes, and how femininity was perceived in a particular decade. This brings us to the main theme of Miuccia Prada’s work — the ways of presenting femininity in normative fashion.

What distinguishes this collection from a costume one is the intended way it should be worn — and this is the key moment. Miuccia Prada doesn't suggest wearing it as if you were on the set of a BBC period drama. Instead, she puts signature thin Miu Miu long sleeves (a future hit, as always) under silk dresses, and a nipple bra underneath them. It’s already clear that the bra will be the standout piece of the entire collection. However, it might face some competition from the fur neckpiece with pockets and rhinestone-embroidered socks. Either way, you should sign up for the queue without delay.

The most wonderful aspect is that this entire game of vintage wardrobes and various expressions of femininity looks fantastic not only on girls and young women but also on those who are middle-aged or even older. Sarah Paulson, at 50, looked stunning in all this, as did Lou Doillon, who is 42, and Sunday Rose Kidman-Urban, who is 16. This is the main secret of Miu Miu: originally created as the younger sister of Prada, for the young sisters of Prada clients, it has become the best friend for women of all ages.

Courtesy: Miu Miu

Text: Elena Stafyeva