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Prada S.p.A.  is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan . It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear  and L’Oréal for fragrances and cosmetics. 

By the 1990s, Prada was perceived as a luxury brand, a designation credited to originality in its designs. To further the business, Miuccia Prada founded Miu Miu as a subsidiary of Prada around this time period; the company additionally partnered with LVMH to acquire a joint stake in Fendi; Prada further assisted LVMH in its failed takeover of Gucci. The brand struggled through the late 2000s and early to mid 2010s, which included a failed initial public offering on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange, though began a resurgence in popularity entering into the 2020s. The house presently sees annual revenue in the billions of Euros, making €4.2 billion in 2022 with profit that same year totaling to €776 million; furthermore, Prada and less so Miu Miu are seen as having very high desirability among consumers across various reports. 

Prada hosts seasonal runway shows on the international fashion calendar, taking place in Milan often at one of the brand’s spaces.

1988 – first womenswear show in Milan

1998 – first menswear show in Milan

Resort 2019 was shown in New York City at Prada’s New York headquarters.[41] The show was broadcast over screens in Times Square.Previous Prada models include Daria Werbowy, Gemma Ward, Vanessa Axente, Suvi Koponen, Ali Stephens, Vlada Roslyakova and Sasha Pivovarova, who went on to appear in Prada’s ad campaigns for six consecutive seasons after opening the Prada fall 2005 runway show. Prada has also featured many actors as models in their menswear shows and campaigns, including Gary Oldman, Adrien Brody, Emile Hirsch and Norman Reedus. Prada’s runway music is designed by Frédéric Sanchez. 

Boutiques

Prada has commissioned architects, most notably Rem Koolhaas and Herzog & de Meuron, to design flagship stores in various locations.

1913 – The original Prada store opened in Milan in inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II. 

1919 – Prada was appointed Official Supplier to the Italian Royal Household; as such, it incorporated the House of Savoy’s coat of arms and knotted rope design into its logo.

1983 – Retail expansion sees a new boutique opened in Milan, as well as New York, Madrid, London, Paris, and Tokyo.

1991 – Further retail expansion and more boutiques open in New York City, China, and Japan. 

2001 – Broadway Epicenter in New York City by OMA opens. 

2003 – Tokyo Epicenter by Herzog & de Meuron opens. 

2004 – Los Angeles Epicenter by OMA group opens. Restored in 2012.

2008 – A duplex megastore was opened in Kuala Lumpur at the Pavilion Kuala Lumpur.

2009 – A new store focussing on the Prada Made to Order collection opened on Corso Venezia, Milan, designed by architect Robert Baciocchi.2012 – In June, Prada opened its largest ever boutique in Dubai’s Mall of the Emirates.