Prada facts for kids
Logo Since 2002
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Prada boutique at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy
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| Public (S.p.A.) | |
| Traded as | SEHK: 1913 |
| Industry | Fashion |
| Founded | 1913 (as Fratelli Prada) |
| Founder | Mario Prada |
| Headquarters |
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Number of locations
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606 boutiques |
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Area served
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Worldwide |
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Key people
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Andrea Guerra (CEO) Miuccia Prada (head designer) Patrizio Bertelli (chairman) |
| Products | Luxury goods |
| Revenue |  €4.726 billion (2023) |
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Operating income
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€1.06 billion (2023) |
| €671.0 million (2023) |
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| Total assets | €7.61 billion (2023) |
| Total equity | €3.85 billion (2023) |
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Number of employees
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14,876 (2023) |
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Prada S.p.A. (
i/ˈprɑːdə/, PRAH-də; Italian: [ˈpraːda]) is a famous Italian fashion company. It was started in 1913 in Milan, Italy, by Mario Prada. Prada is known for its fancy leather handbags, travel items, shoes, and clothes ready to wear. They also make eyewear (glasses) with Luxottica and perfumes and makeup with L'Oréal.
Prada began by selling imported English goods. In the 1970s, Mario's granddaughter, Miuccia Prada, and her husband, Patrizio Bertelli, started using waterproof nylon fabrics. By the 1990s, Prada became known as a top luxury brand because of its unique designs. Miuccia Prada also created another brand called Miu Miu around this time. Prada has grown into a huge company, earning billions of Euros each year. In the 2020s, Miuccia Prada and Bertelli began to pass on leadership to their children, bringing in Andrea Guerra as CEO to help with this change.
Contents
History of Prada
How Prada Started
Prada began in 1913 as Fratelli Prada (which means "Prada Brothers"). Mario Prada and his brother Martino opened a shop in Milan that sold leather goods. At first, they sold items like imported English trunks and handbags.
Mario Prada didn't think women should work in business. But his son wasn't interested in the company. So, Mario's daughter, Luisa, took over and ran Prada for nearly 20 years. Luisa's daughter, Miuccia Prada, joined the company in 1970 and became its leader in 1978.
Miuccia started making waterproof backpacks from a strong nylon fabric called Pocono. She met Patrizio Bertelli in 1977. He had started his own leather business at 24. He joined Prada and gave Miuccia advice on how to run the company, which she followed. He suggested they stop importing English goods and change their luggage designs.
Prada's Growth
When Miuccia took over in 1978, sales were around $450,000. With Bertelli managing the business, Miuccia could focus on her creative designs. She brought new ideas that changed the company.
In 1979, she launched her first collection of backpacks and tote bags. They were made from the tough black nylon her grandfather used for trunk covers. They weren't an instant hit because of little advertising and high prices. But these items later became very popular.
Miuccia and Bertelli then started selling their bags to fancy department stores and boutiques worldwide. In 1983, Prada opened a second store in Milan's famous Galleria Vittorio Emanuele. This new store was modern but still reminded people of the original shop.
The next big product was a nylon tote bag. That same year, Prada expanded across Europe and the United States. They opened stores in cities like Florence, Paris, Madrid, and New York City. A shoe line was also launched in 1984. In 1985, Miuccia released the "classic Prada handbag," which became an instant success. It was practical and strong, but its sleek look and fine making gave it a luxury feel that became Prada's signature style.
Miuccia and Bertelli got married in 1987. In 1988, Prada launched its first ready-to-wear clothing collection for women. These designs were known for their low waistlines and thin belts. Prada became more popular as the fashion world noticed its clean styles, rich fabrics, and simple colors.
Unlike other luxury brands like Louis Vuitton, Prada's logo wasn't always obvious on its products. The brand tried to show an image of "anti-status" or "inverse snobbery," meaning it was fancy without showing off.
Prada in the 1990s
Prada's unique style made it one of the most important fashion houses. The brand became a top luxury symbol in the 1990s.
In 1992, the high-fashion brand Miu Miu was launched. It was named after Miuccia's nickname and aimed at younger customers and celebrities. By 1993, Prada won an award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA) for its accessories.
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The first ready-to-wear collection for men came out in Spring/Summer 1998. By 1994, sales reached $210 million. Prada won another CFDA award in 1995 as "designer of the year." In 1996, a large Prada store opened in Manhattan, New York. At this time, Prada had 40 stores worldwide, with 20 in Japan. The company owned eight factories and worked with 84 other manufacturers in Italy. Miuccia and Bertelli's businesses joined to form Prapar B.V., which later became Prada B.V. Patrizio Bertelli was named CEO.
The year 1996 was also important for Prada's style. Journalists praised Miuccia for creating an "ugly chic" look. This style at first confused customers with its unsexy outfits. But then it showed bold and new ideas about fashion. Since then, Prada has been seen as one of the most clever and thoughtful designers.
In 1997, Prada's income was $674 million. Another store opened in Milan that year. Bertelli also bought shares in the Gucci group. In June 1998, Bertelli made a profit of $260 million. People thought he might try to take over Gucci. But Prada was still a small company and had debts. Bertelli later sold his shares to LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault in January 1998, making a profit of $140 million. Arnault was trying to take over Gucci. LVMH had been buying fashion companies like Dior and Givenchy. Gucci stopped him by selling a large part of its company to François Pinault.
In 1998, the first Prada menswear store opened in Los Angeles. Prada wanted to own many luxury brands, like Gucci and LVMH. Prada bought a majority share of Helmut Lang's company in New York for $40 million in March 1999. Months later, Prada bought Jil Sander A.G., a German company, for $105 million. This gave Prada a presence in Germany. Church & Company, an English shoemaker, also came under Prada's control. Prada also partnered with the De Rigo group to make Prada eyewear. In October 1999, Prada joined with LVMH to buy a large share of Fendi S.p.A. Prada's part of this purchase was $241.5 million. Prada also took on Fendi's debts, as Fendi was not doing well financially.
These purchases made Prada a top player in the European luxury market. Its income tripled from 1996. But despite this success, the company still had debts.
Prada in the 2000s
Prada slowed down its buying of other companies in the 2000s. In 2000, skincare products were launched in the United States, Japan, and Europe. To help pay off debts of over $850 million, the company planned to sell 30% of its shares on the Milan Stock Exchange in June 2001. But this plan slowed down because people were spending less on luxury goods. In 2001, Bertelli sold all of Prada's share in Fendi to LVMH, which brought in $295 million.
By 2006, Prada sold off the Helmut Lang, Amy Fairclough, Ghee, and Jil Sander brands. Prada is still working to recover from the Fendi debt. More recently, a part of the Church & Company brand was sold.
The Prada Spring/Summer 2009 fashion show in Milan became famous because many models stumbled or fell on the catwalk. They had to take off their shoes to keep walking. One model even had to stop during the final walk because she couldn't manage her high heels. Models said they were having panic attacks because the heels were so high. Miuccia Prada said the problem was slippery silk socks inside the shoes, not the height of the heels. She promised that shoes sold in stores would have lower heels and that the socks would be sewn in. However, these shoes were never sold.
Prada in the 2010s
On June 24, 2011, Prada was listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to raise money.
In 2015, Prada's sales increased by 1 percent, but its profit fell.
In July 2016, Prada started selling its clothes online through Net-a-Porter and Mytheresa. This helped Prada reach more customers and adapt to the digital world while keeping its luxury image.
By March 2018, Prada's sales started to grow again after falling since 2014. Their stock price went up by 14% when this news came out.
In 2019, Prada announced that it would stop using fur in its collections and all its brands starting in 2020. They said they would focus on new materials to create designs and meet the demand for ethical products.
Prada in the 2020s
In February 2020, Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli named Belgian designer Raf Simons as co-creative director.
In August 2020, the company announced it would no longer use kangaroo leather in its products.
In January 2023, Prada announced Andrea Guerra as its new CEO. Guerra used to be CEO of Luxottica and Eataly. He was brought in to help with the change in leadership to the Bertelli children, who are expected to take over the company. One of Guerra's first ideas was to list Prada's stock on both the Hong Kong Stock Exchange and a European stock exchange, likely in Milan.
Prada's Businesses Today
Fashion Shows
Prada holds fashion shows each season in Milan, often at one of the brand's own locations.
- 1988 – First women's clothing show in Milan.
- 1998 – First men's clothing show in Milan.
The Resort 2019 show was held in New York City at Prada's headquarters there. The show was even broadcast on screens in Times Square.
Many famous models have walked for Prada, including Daria Werbowy, Gemma Ward, and Sasha Pivovarova. Prada has also featured actors as models in their menswear shows and ads, such as Gary Oldman, Adrien Brody, and Emile Hirsch.
The music for Prada's fashion shows is created by Frédéric Sanchez.
Prada Stores
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Prada has hired famous architects like Rem Koolhaas and Herzog & de Meuron to design its main stores in different places.
- 1913 – The first Prada store opened in Milan inside the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.
- 1919 – Prada was named an Official Supplier to the Italian Royal Household. Because of this, they added the royal family's coat of arms and knotted rope design to their logo.
- 1983 – New stores opened in Milan, New York, Madrid, London, Paris, and Tokyo.
- 1991 – More stores opened in New York City, China, and Japan.
- 2001 – The Broadway Epicenter store in New York City, designed by OMA, opened.
- 2003 – The Tokyo Epicenter, designed by Herzog & de Meuron, opened.
- 2004 – The Los Angeles Epicenter, designed by OMA, opened. It was updated in 2012.
- 2008 – A large two-story store opened in Kuala Lumpur.
- 2009 – A new store focusing on Prada's Made to Order collection opened in Milan.
- 2012 – In June, Prada opened its biggest store ever in Dubai's Mall of the Emirates.
Other Things Prada Does
Costume Design
- In 2007, Miuccia Prada helped design costumes for two computer-generated characters in the movie Appleseed Ex Machina.
- In 2010, the opera Attila by Giuseppe Verdi premiered in New York with costumes by Miuccia Prada.
- In 2013, Miuccia Prada designed costumes for Baz Luhrmann's film The Great Gatsby with costume designer Catherine Martin.
Eyewear
- In 2000, Prada and Miu Miu launched eyewear (glasses and sunglasses), made by Luxottica.
Perfumes
- In 2004, Prada launched its first fragrance with the Puig company. Women's perfumes were followed by men's perfumes in 2006. The L'Oreal Group took over the beauty license from Puig in 2021.
- PRADA for women, 2004
- Tendre for women, 2006
- PRADA Amber pour Homme (Prada Man) for men, 2006
- Benjoin (Essence exclusive N°9) for women, 2007
- Infusion d'Iris for women, 2007
- Infusion d'Homme for men, 2008
- L'eau ambrée for women, 2009
- Prada Amber pour Homme Intense for men, 2011
- Prada Candy for women, 2011
- Prada Olfactories collection, 2015
- La Femme Prada for women and L'Homme Prada for men, 2016
- La Femme Prada Intense for women and L'Homme Prada Intense for men, 2017
- La Femme Prada L'eau for women, 2017
Cosmetics and Skincare
- In 2023, Prada launched its makeup (Prada Color) and skincare (Prada Skin) lines through a partnership with L'Oreal Luxe. The first products included lipstick, foundation, eyeshadow, cleanser, moisturizer, and serum.
Mobile Phones
- In May 2007, Prada started making mobile phones with LG Electronics. Three phones came from this partnership: LG Prada (KE850), LG Prada II (KF900), and LG Prada 3.0. These phones were early versions of what we now call smartphones.
Watches
- Prada started making watches in 2007 but stopped in 2012. One watch model, the Prada Link, could connect to the LG Prada II mobile phone using bluetooth technology.
Prada's Support for Arts, Sports, and Environment
Arts and Architecture
- Prada's main office in Milan, opened in 2000, is in a former factory. It has an art piece by Carsten Höller: a three-story metal slide from Miuccia Prada's office to the courtyard.
- Prada's New York City Headquarters opened in 2002 in a renovated piano factory.
- In 2003, Prada worked with architect Guido Canali on the "Garden-Factories" Project to improve the areas around their factories.
- In 2004, an exhibition called "Waist Down – Skirts by Miuccia Prada" opened in Tokyo. This traveling show featured 100 skirts designed by Miuccia Prada and traveled to Shanghai, New York, Los Angeles, and Seoul.
- In 2009, Prada asked Rem Koolhaas's OMA group to design a unique building called the Prada Transformer in Seoul. It was first used for the "Waist Down" exhibition and later became a movie theater.
- In 2012, Miuccia Prada was featured in an exhibition at the Metropolitan Museum of Art called "Impossible Conversations."
- In 2014, an exhibition called "Pradasphere" was shown in London and Hong Kong, highlighting the world of Prada.
- In 2015, Prada opened a permanent home for Fondazione Prada in Milan. It's in a former distillery redesigned by OMA. It has a permanent art collection, changing exhibits, a performance space, a movie theater, a bookstore, and a cafe called Bar Luce, designed by director Wes Anderson.
- In 2016, after 6 years of restoration, Prada opened an event space in a historic building in Shanghai, China.
Sports Sponsoring
Patrizio Bertelli loves sailing, so Prada created Team Luna Rossa in 1997 to compete in the America's Cup. In 2017, it was announced that Prada would be the main sponsor for the Challenger Selection Series at the 2021 America's Cup. This series, once known as the Louis Vuitton Cup, is now called the Prada Cup. The America's Cup Match itself will also be presented by Prada. It will be held in Auckland, New Zealand, in January 2021.
Environmental Sustainability
In 2019, Prada teamed up with UNESCO's Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission to start an educational program called SEA BEYOND. This program teaches young people about ocean pollution and why it's important to protect the sea. In 2022, the SEA BEYOND project won an award for combining ocean education and sustainable fashion. In June 2023, Prada announced it would give more money to the Sea Beyond project. For the next two years, 1% of sales from its Re-Nylon collections will go to the project. This will help the project expand beyond education to support scientific research and community projects related to the ocean. In December 2023, Prada also joined the UN's Global Compact (UNGC) to show its commitment to human rights, the environment, labor, and fighting corruption.
In January 2024, Prada announced a new partnership with Bibliothèques Sans Frontières, an international non-profit. They will create a resource space focused on the seabed.
Images for kids
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Logo Since 2002
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Prada boutique at the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, Italy
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Tooled leather handbag made by Prada, 1935-45 (RISD Museum)
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Prada boutique at Fifth Avenue, Manhattan
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Prada in Pacific Place, Hong Kong
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Silver leather wedges by Prada, 2005. Collection of the Victoria and Albert Museum
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Prada window display at Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan
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Prada store, Sydney
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Tokyo Epicenter by Herzog & de Meuron
In Spanish: Prada (casa de moda) para niños
