Luxury fashion often finds itself orbiting themes of intellectualism, precision, and polish—its garments are symbols of painstakingly curated perfection. However, Prada’s Fall/Winter 2025 Menswear Collection chooses a different path. Co-creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons flipped fashion’s traditional script, offering a refreshingly chaotic exploration of style that shifts the focus from deep interpretation to simple, unfiltered joy. The result is a bold, thrift-inspired collection that embraces imperfection, spontaneity, and, above all, the authenticity of getting dressed.
This season’s runway show in Milan marks a stark departure from Prada’s historically intellectual approach to menswear. Known for collections that dissect philosophy and cultural paradigms, Prada instead injected a sense of ease into this collection. “This wasn’t about making a statement in the traditional sense,” Miuccia Prada explained. “It was about celebrating imperfection and adopting a more human approach to dressing.”
Simons echoed this ethos, lamenting an industry consumed by meticulous over-curation. “Style can thrive amid spontaneity and randomness,” he emphasized. As such, this season’s efforts resist overanalysis; they’re not about the hidden meanings but about allowing fashion’s joy to simply exist in its rawest, most personal form.
On the runway, this philosophy materialized in adventurous, disjointed ensembles that felt deeply relatable. Wallpaper-inspired prints reminiscent of retro kitchens mingled with patchwork textures of fur and leather that nodded to the charm of a well-loved rug. Accessories leaned towards playfulness, including pieces like a single quirky pendant earring shaped like a basketball. The juxtaposition of kitschy, cheerful patterns with brooding, utilitarian outerwear blurred the industry’s conventional categories.
Notable looks included scruffy denim coats layered over sharp, tailored tuxedo jackets, effortlessly dismantling rigid barriers between casual and formal. This visual chaos felt deliberate, daringly crafted yet strikingly accessible. Prada and Simons’ artistry lay in their ability to make thrift-inspired imperfection transcend expectations, while still maintaining that unmistakable Prada identity.
At its core, Prada’s dive into the chaotic beauty of imperfection is a cultural response to today’s pressures for polished perfection. From filtered Instagram feeds to unnaturally curated self-representations, the modern world often demands faultlessness. Prada’s collection pushes back, offering a liberating antidote—the joy of uncomplicated authenticity.
Critics have embraced it as a timely refresh. Manfred Lu, one of the week’s most vocal commentators, applauded the creative risk, calling it “a carefree spontaneity that feels decidedly human in a world of over-curated luxury.” Such sentiments underscore the universal resonance of the collection’s message: fashion, like life, doesn’t have to be perfect to be meaningful.
The synergy behind Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ partnership has long been lauded, but this collection unveils their unique ability to challenge norms while staying rooted in purpose. Known for her cerebral approach to fashion’s intersection with society, Miuccia brings a grounding philosophy to the designs, while Simons infuses a street-smart, subculture-driven edge. Together, they’ve created a collection that is both emancipatory and precise in its apparent nonchalance.
By stripping away layers of intellectualism, the duo reinforces one critical idea: fashion should not exist as an untouchable art form. Instead, it should invite its audience to participate, connect, and rediscover the untamed joy of dressing.
