Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons Talk Fashion, Art, Business and Their Future

trend: Fashion is an art form, is it because it has a commercial purpose?

RS: If this conversation turns to art versus fashion…

MP: Then we are the right people!

RS: For me, art can exist in the world without reason or function.

MP: Because it’s an idea.

RS: yes. I think we both have a problem with seeing fashion as an art form, but I get what you mean. I’m thinking However, the core is what we just talked about.

trend: Dario Franceschini, Italy’s newest Minister of Culture, published a book last year. Con la cultura non si mangia? (Can’t you eat if you have culture?) examines why states sometimes do little to support cultural industries (including fashion) that create jobs, exports and well-being. The industry supports hundreds of thousands of Italians But do you think you get enough support and respect?

MP: There are many ways to look at this. The first is that I am afraid to talk about fashion.Because it touches your intimate parts [nature]: I have to talk about myself, about my physique, maybe even about my weaknesses… I’ve spent my whole life wondering why fashion is considered so cheesy and trivial in so many situations. I have asked myself whether And that’s one reason. The other depends on how you position yourself in politics. But I always forbade talking about politics in public. Being a wealthy fashion designer, I feel uncomfortable. I could be wrong, but it still makes me feel uncomfortable.

trend: Yes, but you are also a citizen.

MP: know. And actually I don’t know if I’m right or wrong.But [with politics], you must be free. When you start sharing your opinion on a subject, people will say…

trend: Is this hypocrisy?

MP: Haha!

RS: But don’t you think that perception has changed? Is it because fashion has become so democratic?

MP: Democrats, yes. No. it depends. For fast fashion… it depends on how you position yourself in the fashion chain. And there is nothing wrong with that. But I think the reason people don’t talk about fashion is because they don’t want to talk about their bodies, their problems, their fantasies.