Luxury labels are increasingly moving with the times and stepping up their digital strategies. More emphasis is being placed on social media, from hosting Snapchat stories to sponsored ads on Instagram. It also means offering e-commerce shopping options or teaming up with platforms that provide such services.
The latest fashion brand to jump on the bandwagon is Prada. The Italian fashion house has teamed up with online retailer MyTheresa.com to launch its autumn/winter 2016 collection on the web on Friday, July 15.
This is the first time that Prada’s mainstream collection has been available through online retailers. The items include ready-to-wear pieces, along with handbags and shoes.
The move has been long-awaited, especially since Miu Miu, the subsidiary label owned by Prada, already offers online shopping on its website, and items are also available at online stores, including Net-a-porter.com, MyTheresa.com and Saksfifthavenue.com.
Because Prada has been slow to embrace online services – its website does not offer direct shopping services – its partnership with leading global online retailers is sure to be welcomed by luxury fashion consumers worldwide. The move also continues the brand’s enduring relationship with MyTheresa, which goes back 25 years though its bricks-and-mortar boutique, Theresa, in Munich.
In honour of the autumn/winter 2016 online collaboration with Prada, and to celebrate the website’s 10th anniversary, Mytheresa.com has produced a campaign featuring model and style icon Alexa Chung.
The eight images were shot at the Aman Venice hotel in Italy, and while they are under a global embargo until tomorrow, when the collection officially launches online, MyTheresa.com gave The National an exclusive preview.
Chung looks effortlessly decadent lounging around the hotel, which is located in a 16th-century palazzo situated on the Grand Canal. Years of history and traditional architecture form a sweeping backdrop.
The new items made their catwalk debut in February at Milan Fashion Week. Graphic, colourful prints, rich gold-on-black jacquards and thick corset-inspired waist belts featured prominently. The collection juxtaposed quirky, youthful styling – think wristlet purses worn around the neck, woven argyle socks paired with open-toed heels, and lace-up belts worn on top of coats – with a mature palette of colours.
Blacks, navy blues, heather greys and hunter greens were recurring shades. The mood was upscale and edgy, with a somewhat playful punch.
Catwalk models looked uninhibited and free-spirited, while maintaining an undeniably powerful presence. The collection celebrates the female form by robing her in exquisite layers, and was designed for women who are keen to mix and match different prints and textures, but with a curatorial eye and sophisticated flair.
From a classic tweed cape and glamorous floral brocade blazer to a sleek book-shaped clutch, with textured leather and shiny gold hardware, Prada’s latest collection incorporates trends currently dictating the global fashion industry. There is something here for everyone.
Prada’s online move, meanwhile, reflects a growing industry trend.
“It’s characterised by the rise of retail e-commerce, social media, smart services and wired wellness,” says Julie Wagner, a luxury marketing specialist in Los Angeles. ”The future of luxury, or Luxury 3.0, is all about providing the amenities and services consumers want in exactly the way they want them.”
• Prada’s autumn/winter 2016 launches online on Friday, July 15 at www.mytheresa.com. Prices range from Dh530 to Dh45,530. Shoes range in price from Dh2,034 to Dh7,160, and bags range from Dh834 to Dh9,805
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hlodi@thenational.ae
