Skirting around: Prada says trousers are out for SS27 Womenswear

Less than 24 hours after London Fashion Week came to a close, the Milan shows are already well underway. Yesterday evening, Burberry – the biggest show on London’s schedule – was the talk of the town, while today (September 22), Milan’s proudest export kicked off proceedings in Italy. Prada showed its SS27 collection this afternoon, welcoming guests and famous faces to its usual spot at Fondazione Prada. As expected, the front row was packed with big names, while the clothes were unexpectedly skimpier than usual. What’s more, there wasn’t a pair of trousers in sight. Here’s everything you need to know from the latest offering by Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons. 

Alexa Chung and Nara Smith must’ve been on the first flight out of London this morning, making it to Milan in time for the Prada show after sitting front row at Burberry last night. Stranger Things stars Sadie Sink and Maya Hawke were reunited, with the latter accompanied by her mother, Uma Thurman. More families arrived in the form of married couple Dwyane Wade and Gabrielle Union, but sadly, there was no sight of Prada ambassador Tom Holland and wife Zendaya. Elsewhere, artist Jeff Koons made a surprise appearance, as did film director Luca Guadagnino. 

Miranda Priestly might have been talking about Calvin Klein, but Mrs P has jumped to her aid with a selection of 63 skirts. Every single look at today’s show featured a skirt. There were midi skirts, mini skirts, floral skirts, pleated skirts, leather skirts, nylon skirts, patterned skirts, see-through organza skirts and sparkling embellished skirts. It was skirts galore! Mrs P even took her bow wearing, you guessed it, a skirt. 

The collection offered up just about every way to style one. Whether belted or baggy, flowing or stiff, conservative or featuring a sexy slit, or even partially hidden beneath a leather trench – Prada sought to prove the garment’s versatility, showing a skirt for every occasion. “The skirt as object,” read the press notes. “Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons focus on an interrogation of this single, universal garment, through protean variation. Engineered for freedom, the skirt is a Prada obsession.” 

In comparison to previous seasons, this collection felt distinctly sexier. The show opened with a model wearing a red skirt with a high slit, styled with a simple black bra. More bras followed, along with boob tubes and high leg slits. Think Maggie Gyllenhaal in Secretary if she’d been caught mid-getting dressed. The music also added a surprisingly smutty element. A third of the way through the show, the sound of Belgian electronic group Lords of Acid echoed around the room. Their track, “I Sit On Acid”, features the same two lines repeated over and over again: “Sit on your face, I wanna sit on your face.” Could this be the reason for all the skirts?