Each of the individual pieces that make up each look are very versatile and wearable, and Miu Miu plays with breaking the boundaries by styling these minimalist closet staple pieces provocatively. The Milan-based fashion brand Miu Miu, helmed by designer Miuccia Prada, has long been defined by a playful, rebellious, often androgynous take on classic preppy fashion. The brand’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection, themed “A Rationale of Beauties,” is no exception. The collection drew inspiration from their quintessential motifs, as well as from the season itself. Spring is a transitional period between two extremes on the fashion spectrum: winter and summer. Miu Miu’s collection embodies this transition by mixing and matching winter pieces with summer pieces, creating a balance of silhouettes and textures that can only be described as the essence of spring.
The collection is seemingly a humorous take on business casual attire, as it mixes formal and casual wear in unconventional ways. Throughout the collection winter coats and oversized blazers can be seen paired with sandals and bathing suit bottoms adorned with Miu Miu’s logo.
Another nod to the seasonal transition, the collection also features layered separates, such as a blouse over a collared shirt to create contrast and indulge in their tendency to break gender barriers. The base of many looks in the collection is a blue checked collared shirt layered underneath a navy polo. This simplistic base, reminiscent of a school uniform, is used to create contrast between the masculine and feminine influences.
As the show progresses, it moves away from darker colors like navy and black, and more structured silhouettes, towards a lighter color palette including yellow and orange, and lighter-weight fabrics. Each garment is shown in multiple colors and fabrics, lending an element of cohesion to the intentionally disjointed looks. Several looks feature a tube top, a traditionally summer garment, reimagined in heavier, more wintery fabrics like leather.
The textures of the collection are interesting and purposeful as well. For example, they include the same ruffled fabric in both black and white and use it throughout the collection to bring the pieces together. The addition of suede to the jacket rotation gives the looks a more down-to-earth quality. In contrast, shifts, minidresses, and jackets with simple silhouettes are rendered in glamorous gold metallic or sequined fabrics. Mixed with the parade of bright, vibrant bikini bottoms and metallic shifts are several monochrome looks in black or white, dressed up in luxe brocades or embellished with sequins.
And one iconic Miu Miu staple piece makes a repeat appearance: the low-waisted micro-mini skirt, a ‘60s throwback which the brand is reviving. The Spring/Summer 2024 collection presents the signature skirt playfully paired with more serious and businesslike blazers, polos, and jackets.
The importance of styling cannot be understated, and Miu Miu clearly understands its significance. The cheeky mixture of the playful and the serious extends to accessories as well. Every model carries a leather handbag, and for those not wearing bathing suit bottoms, they can be seen spilling out of the bag. Each of the models wears glasses or sunglasses in a square frame, often hinting at colors that are to come in the rest of the show. The shoe choice is another intentional detail as the show began with exclusively sandals and developed into flats, loafers, and sneakers, giving it a youthful feel. The details like half-exposed collars, a slightly disheveled styling of chunky jewelry, and bags overflowing with other garments and shoes, adds to the casual, lived-in attitude.
One current trend that did not fail to appear was the oversized belt. A brown leather belt was seen repeatedly throughout the collection, embellishing the low-waisted bottoms of skirts, shorts, and pants alike. Underneath the belt, bathing suit bottoms could be seen, always showing the drawstring tied in a bow. This theme brought a casual edge to otherwise formal looks and created cohesion throughout the entire collection while tying back to the current popular fashion choice of a double-belted look.
The show ends in a complete surprise: monochrome black. The final look to grace the runway is a black, monochrome, oversized, bell-sleeved coat dress. As the wackiness emerged throughout the collection, the last thing that could have been expected was a little black dress. But Miu Miu chose to tone down the bright pops of vibrant bikini bottoms and the golden sequins in the end. Even so, they continued to play with textures, giving the all-black look dimension and an element of interest.
Perhaps the most genius aspect of this collection is that it is still ready to wear, despite being styled in an unconventional way on the runway. Each of the individual pieces that make up each look are very versatile and wearable, and Miu Miu plays with breaking the boundaries by styling these minimalist closet staple pieces provocatively. But when sold individually, they remain extremely accessible to consumers of all gender identities and fashion styles.
