Prada’s Design Director to Step Again from Firm

Italian designer Fabio Zambernardi, a key deputy of Miuccia Prada for the reason that Nineteen Nineties, is making ready to step again from his function at Prada Group on the finish of 2023, sources instantly accustomed to the matter stated. The Spring/Summer time reveals for the group’s Prada and Miu Miu manufacturers are prone to be Zambernardi’s final.

Zambernardi began at Prada within the Nineteen Eighties, finally rising to steer its shoe division in 1997 earlier than being named design director for each Prada and Miu Miu in 2002.

A behind-the-scenes pressure, Zambernardi helped to form Prada’s trademark aesthetic, melding unbelievable prints with rigorous cuts, and has lengthy shared Mrs. Prada’s fascination with camp and kitsch femininity, in addition to her obsession with uniforms.

His studio is thought for taking inspirations that flirt with the outlandish and ugly and reworking them into wearable, covetable merchandise that permit wearers to concurrently display each mastery of and disrespect for standard good style.

Prada’s enterprise has been on a tear for the reason that pandemic. On the group’s flagship Prada model, the artistic dialogue between Mrs. Prada’s studio and co-creative director Raf Simons has resulted in intriguing runway outings in addition to sell-out merchandise. Sister label Miu Miu, too, has seen its gross sales surge as latest collections centered the model’s message on youthful, confrontational twists on collegiate and workplace garb.

Prada Group gross sales grew 20 % to €2.2 billion ($2.4 billion) within the first six months of the yr, with Miu Miu’s enterprise leaping an astonishing 50 %, the corporate introduced in July.

Prada Group declined to touch upon Zambernardi’s departure.

The group has fought to retain the important thing govt in latest months and desires to maintain the door open for his return, probably framing his departure as a year-long sabbatical, two of the sources stated.