The Bite Magazine - Autumn/Winter 2022 - Issue 32

bitefashion ria Bianchi) in 1978, three years after she joined the business. Previously, Miuccia had studied political science at the University of Milan, graduating with a PhD in 1973. Alongside Patrizio Bertelli, a busi- nessman she met in 1977 and married the follow- ing year, their partnership introduced fashion to an innovative business model. Six years after Prada presented its first women’s shoe collection in 1979, Miuccia followed with an impressive line of black, finely woven nylon hand- bags. In 1988, she presented her first Fall-Winter women’s ready-to-wear collection with the models walking the mostly black ensembles in low-heeled shoes. The first men’s ready-to-wear and footwear collection followed in 1993, the same year Miu Miu (named after Miuccia’s childhood nickname) was created. The brand ventured into other areas, including Luna Rossa in 1997, a sailboat racing syndicate de- rived from Patrizio’s passion for sailing and desire to challenge the American's Cup, the world’s oldest trophy. Incidentally, they garnered victory, win- ning the Louis Vuitton Cup in 2000 held in Auck- land, New Zealand but lost the American’s Cup to Team New Zealand that same year in all five races. Today, the racing team is called Luna Rossa Prada Pirelli and has challenged the New Zealanders four times. English handcrafted footwear brand Church’s, known for its impeccable style, was acquired by the Prada Group in 1999. The following year, the group launched its first Prada and Miu Miu sunglasses and optical frame collections, followed by open- ing its American headquarters in New York, in a former piano factory. It then acquired the iconic Italian Car shoe brand in 2001, initially founded in 1963, renowned for its iconic driving loafers. Fuelling her love of art, Miuccia opened Fondazi- one Prada in 2002, a contemporary art centre in Milan’s industrial zone Largo Isarco, that holds her vast collection. The selected pieces span the 20th century, emphasising Italian art and other creatives in the international market. It consists of nine separate spaces, a haunted house with a gold leaf exterior and a mirrored cinema building with moveable walls so the screens can turn outwards for courtyard screenings. The former distillery’s whiskey and brandy barrels storage cellar has retained its calm underground ambience but has glass walls that reveal the court- yard. An interior balcony allows visitors to look down into the exhibitions from the higher levels. In the Sud and Deposito, you’ll find an introduc- tion to Prada’s personal holdings, including Bar- nett Newman’s painting Onement VI and art-de- signed cars, including Walter de Maria’s Cadillacs. A partnership with fragrance and cosmetics com- pany Puig helped Prada launch its first fragrance