Everything
Amongst preppy ensembles and reimagined silhouettes, Milan Fashion Week SS/19 saw Prada take to the runway with the comeback of ’60s tie-dye. As the psychedelic print slowly streamed into the streetwear realm during 2018, it was the Italian fashion house that gave the trend a luxury treatment. Splashed onto a range of knitwear, accessories and preppy silhouettes, the style has once again reached the masses with the likes of Calvin Klein and Louis Vuitton also leading the way.
Stemming from the ancient printing techniques of the Egyptians, its hippie connotation was born from the scenes of political rallies and Woodstock festivals during the ’60s and ’70s. Now however, its move into luxury design houses has given the print a refined approach and taking us behind the scenes of the process, Prada has released a short video via Instagram.
Set in what looks like a high-tech lab from a film, the artfully produced short video reveals the meticulous craft of the tie dye. From mixing the pigment with liquid, to the preparation of the luxury garments and finally the dying process, every hand crafted piece obtains a slightly different finish making the designs incredibly unique.
Touching on cultural appropriation – a concept that has long been debated about in the fashion industry – Miuccia Prada wanted to combine the ancient practice with the modern times. “On the one hand you want freedom, liberation, fantasy and on the other, you have extreme conservatism. I wanted to demonstrate the clash between these two opposites.”
Moving into abstract graphics, stay tuned as the new season looks hit stores. For more information on the project, visit here.
