MerkItalian
Prada
21 actieve items
In a glass-roofed arcade in the centre of Milan, Mario Prada opened a leather goods shop in 1913 that would become one of the twentieth century's most influential fashion houses. Fratelli Prada, as it was first called, occupied premises in the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II and specialised in luxury trunks, bags, and travel accessories crafted from the finest leathers and imported English materials. The shop quickly earned a reputation among the Milanese bourgeoisie and in 1919 received the warrant of official supplier to the Italian royal household.
The transformation from respected leather goods maker to global fashion force came through Mario's granddaughter, Miuccia Prada, who took creative control in 1978. Trained in political science with a doctorate from the University of Milan and a background in mime theatre, Miuccia brought an intellectual restlessness to fashion that set Prada apart from its Italian competitors. Her first major intervention was material: in 1984 she introduced a line of bags made from Pocone, a sturdy industrial nylon that had previously been used for military tents and parachutes. The black nylon backpack, finished with a small triangular enamel logo, became an anti-luxury luxury item, a deliberate rejection of the conspicuous leather goods that dominated the market.
Miuccia's first ready-to-wear collection debuted in 1988, and the fashion press recognised something new: a sensibility that later journalists would call "ugly chic." Her designs mixed unexpected textures, muted colours, and silhouettes that subverted conventional glamour. Working alongside her husband and business partner Patrizio Bertelli, who managed the commercial and industrial operations, Prada expanded into menswear (1993), the diffusion line Miu Miu (1993), and footwear. By the mid-1990s, Prada had become a cultural signifier as much as a fashion brand.
At Nordic auction, Prada bags and accessories circulate through houses including Kaplans Auktioner, Bruun Rasmussen, Bukowskis, and Stockholms Auktionsverk. With 190 items on Auctionist and 27 currently active, the market is led by handbags, particularly the Galleria Tote in Saffiano leather, reaching 9,000 to 9,200 SEK. The consistent volume reflects the strong secondary market for Prada accessories across Scandinavia.