Ever since Raf Simons’ entrance into his role as the co-creative director at Prada alongside Miuccia Prada, the narrative of the shows have continually narrowed into a hyper-specific idea of uniform dressing. The Fall 2023 Menswear show took place inside of the Deposito at Fondazione Prada in Milan, in a cement laden sanctum with low-hung ceilings that slowly rose to reveal a series of art deco style chandeliers that lit the runway, a setting that primed the stage for a lineup of looks that are idyllic in their uniformity, yet slightly subverted by their signature Prada strangeness.

“Modernist precepts of reduction and simplicity combine with their apparent contradictions:comfort, exaggeration, an intimacy,” describe the show notes. “Paradigms of fashion combined with paradigms of Prada, literal and ideological fragments of heritage inherited by new garments. Reductionist tailoring, graphic shards of print and knit, laid on bared skin.”

This reductionist tailoring manifests itself in the ideal modern suit, featuring a slim fitted pant that is paired with a jacket that leans into a more boxy, oversized silhouette. The suits are specifically played with in their relation to layering as well as their connection to the bare skin. The suits are often styled completely sans shirt, and even when a cardigan is layered underneath a suit, both layers are still left unfastened, revealing the chest. Menswear has been toying with the idea of sultry tailoring for the past few seasons, and this collection made it clear that Prada’s answer to sexy suiting is to use the chest as the best accessory. 

Simons’ effect in the menswear department at Prada is something that is almost titillating to watch unfold. Sensuality is not always overt, yet it beats along as a consistent rhythmic undertone to the collection. This sense of sexiness is present even in looks where there is hardly an inch of skin being revealed, like in the looks that consisted of long tunics acting as a middle-ground between the button-up shirts and suits, with their hem left slightly above the knee. There is a sort of clever sensual act of uniform dressing that Simons and Prada have developed for their menswear — an act of dressing that makes the Prada man stand out in a crowd for his sense of modernity.

The sense of uniform is strong in the collection, with Simons and Ms. Prada offering classic pieces like bomber jackets and toggle coats in two cuts of extremely varying lengths; either cropped right to the waistline of trousers or left to hang freely below the knee. While fundamental dressing is clearly important, there are still moments of delightfully strange moments, such as the cleverly crafted bright white cotton-puffer coat that resembles a pillow.

The accessories of the collection walk the line between tradition and modernity. Prada has stuck to a statement shoe silhouette that is seen throughout the entire show; resembling the lovechild of a gel-soled sneaker and a classic men’s derby. For bags, the tote silhouette is one that is bound to be in the hands of every major sartorial figure in the fashion world, designed in a functional silhouette that conveniently contains a pocket for your Prada stainless steel water bottle! The water bottle sticking slightly out of the tote resembles an enormous flask, which is both modern in its appearance and also contains a signature hint of the Prada sense of humor.

The idea of the uniform is accessorized consistently throughout the collection with elongated and sharply cut collars that peer out from underneath suit jackets as well as cardigans. These collars act as an interesting way to bring a pulsating pop of color to uniformity. While a good majority of the collection consists of a no-nonsense color palette, there are moments where the strong color sense of Prada is absolutely delectable; seen in brilliant aqua, a lipstick shade of red, and a charming pale yellow.

In the show notes, the garments of the collection are described as demonstrating, “a reconstruction of meaning, of identity, activated through a minimal gesture.” The closing looks of the collection, largely created out of suede, are perhaps the most telling for Prada’s idea of the zeitgeist in menswear; traditional luxurious materials used to create modern silhouettes that always contain the perfect twinge of quirk.