Item 2019.90.5 - Prada Grey Trousers with Cuff Opening

1913–present
Miu Miu Menswear 1999–2008
Prada Sport 1997–2006, relaunched as Linea Rossa 2018–present
Prada was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada (d. 1958) in Milan as a shop selling bags, trunks and travel accessories. In 1970 Mario’s granddaughter Miuccia Prada (b. 1949) joined the company as an accessory designer. Patrizio Bertelli (b. 1946) joined the business in 1977, marrying Miuccia Prada in 1987. The label held their first womenswear runway show in Milan in 1988, and their first ready-to-wear collection for men in Milan in 1993.
Diffusion line Miu Miu, named after Miuccia Prada’s family nickname, was launched by Prada in 1993 and was initially priced at 50 per cent less than the mainline collection. Miu Miu menswear debuted in Spring Summer 1999 with a small capsule collection, followed by a full runway collection in Autumn Winter 1999. Miu Miu’s final menswear collection was for Spring Summer 2008, following which the brand ceased operations.
Prada launched their sportswear label Prada Sport (also known as Linea Rossa from around 2006) in 1997, coinciding with Prada’s sponsorship of the Italian America’s Cup sailing team, Prada Challenge. Prada branding was similarly used on the yacht to the Linea Rossa logo, consisting of a red rubber strip with the word Prada written in white on top. Neil Barrett served as design director for the company’s first eight collections before establishing his eponymous label. Initially focusing on skiwear and outerwear, the collection expanded to include a 200-piece multipurpose crossover collection. In 1998, Prada Sport opened its first store in New York, followed by two more in Rome and Sardinia in 2002. The line was de-emphasized in the mid-2000s, concentrating on sunglasses and basic items, but was relaunched as a full collection under the Linea Rossa name in 2018.
Sources: pradagroup.com; WWD; The Evening Standard; Drapers; Business of Fashion.