June 29, 2006

There's usually at least a nodding acquaintance between Miu Miu and the main Prada line, but this season the two collections couldn't have been more different. That was Miuccia Prada's way of addressing the dueling directions in which she sees civilization going. If the Prada collection reflected a techno-dominated cybersociety, she imagined Miu Miu at the forefront of a back-to-nature survivalist ethos.

The show certainly projected a desert island vibe, from the reggae on the sound track to the worn, sun-bleached fabrics and the mostly subtle hints of ethnic dressing (the overtness of an electric-blue sarong pant was the exception not the rule). The designer, who wore a sunshine-yellow dress for her final bow, claimed she wanted to convey the notion of people making do with what our society might leave behind, which accounted for the patchwork shirts, the raggedy-hemmed tops, and the headgear, a cap and do-rag combo.

Still, this brand of survivalism wasn't all about roughing it. High-buttoning jackets and paperbag-waisted trousers suggested desert island disco (or at least one of those New Wave fashion moments that Miu Miu—both the woman and the label—delights in). And a linen shorts suit would make any nature boy look chic.

— Tim Blanks