The Deposito of the Fondazione Prada is an impressive venue. With muted grey walls, the industrial space was revamped this season – vermillion pillars were erected around the interior, decorated with plant life arranged into neat hedges. Echoing this season’s Prada menswear show, the ceiling shifted and dropped, altering the dimensions of the room. As is always the case with Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons’ vision, this decision was purposeful – creating a delicate, ceremonious ambience for a collection that explored the crossovers between utilitarian workwear and elegant, feminine silhouettes. In the designers’ own words, this was an offering that “ultimately rediscovers ideas of beauty.”

Simple, round-neck knits in block colours were paired with pristine white silk skirts covered in floral motifs that looked as if they’d been rendered by a Spirograph. An homage to wedding attire, cleverly reimagined through a relaxed, classical lens. Prada signified the return of the ultra-mini skirt with her Miu Miu collections and this offering was no different – origami-like black skirts were paired with smart white shirts while silk-mesh designs exploded with fabric-based shrubbery. In a similar vein to the pair’s menswear offering, oversized blazers and longline skirts featured contrasting layered collars in bold colours. Elsewhere, a padded two-piece cropped jacket and skirt echoed the men’s jackets and vests. Most notable were the shirt dresses with built-in structural epaulettes that descended into trailing pencil skirts for a workwear look with a sultry twist. Ballet pumps and kitten heels were decorated with 3-D flowers (“tokens of affection” read the show notes), and triangle purses in multiple shades came embossed with subtle daisy emblems. This was power dressing with a touch of daintiness.