In 1913, Miuccia Prada's grandfather, Mario, established a family-run luxury leather goods company in Milan. In 1978,a reluctant Miuccia assumed the reins. In 1985, she designed a line of black, unlabeled, sturdy but finely-woven nylon handbags that immediately became fashion must-haves. Prada launched its ready-to-wear collection on the Milan runways in1989to critical acclaim, with its simple,austere lines against the excess of the other labels at the time.Since then, Prada has been at the forefront of the fashion world,winning the prestigious CFDA International Award in1993 and influencing designers over the world.
 
Prada's collections - whether they're nerd-chic, feminist-chic, or minimalist-chic - challenge and beguile the global fashion community each season. The deep thought behind Miuccia's ubiquitous brand is evident through her intellectual approach to design. She presents fabrics in revolutionary ways, dreams up impossible color schemes, and often pairs the staid with the sensual. Her combination of somber black and conservative cuts with the peek-a-boo nature of lace offers up a genius mix of the prim and the perverse. Prada remains one of fashion's most sought-after brands for its ability to make any style, even the most utilitarian, look utterly chic.