Fashion as fragments of history.

No show in Milan seems more important these days than Prada, where designers are seen as mining the history of fashion and design so as not to repeat it.

This season, the duo of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons worked with a whole host of recognizable fabrics, silhouettes and symbols, but by mixing them they unexpectedly created something very new. In fact, the most contemporary collection so far this season.

The key element was a series of dresses and coat dresses that were classic in the front, before becoming lingerie in the back or widened legs in the front. Skirts as if made from men's blazers inside out, but cut so well that they always looked super stylish and were often worn with double-breasted jackets of board members.

The net effect, counterintuitively, was quite romantic. Authoritative women in search of love, accompanied by fantastic crinkled silk coats, cool cocktails and elegant tailoring.

“Work on fragments of history, to learn something. Everything from fashion to politics to art. Removing a piece of the past is not conservative, it is liberating,” Miuccia explained after the show, surrounded by about 40 editors who leaned over to record her calm responses on their cell phones.

Also fragments of fabric, such as the large open covers made of fragments of ribbons, and combined with hussar boots and cavalry helmets, also made of ribbons. All great for an art party or dance party.

The duo's invitation, a rectangular piece of brown paper cut out with the letter P in romantic sugary white script, suggested that one might be attending a dance. Which, according to Miuccia, is a symbol for all women, even if the tough elegance she showed suggests that fashion's duty is also to liberate them.

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There was even a new leather baseball jacket in distressed brown or ecru, each embroidered with P 13, in reference to the Prada brand's year of birth. However, Miuccia warned: “I never want to send messages with numbers and logos!”

And in a clever styling trick, models wore belts with eyelets around the arms, to better hold a series of new bags, a style that is sure to start a real trend. All within an exhibition space with a glass floor, beneath which was a small stream, banks covered with moss, fallen leaves and pebbles.

Pumping up the attitude with a great series of hats: furry sea ship captains; artillery officers; highway patrol cars out of service. Various silhouettes, even the tightest biker jackets with stand-up collars.

Before climaxing with billowing technical calico coats with funnel collars in expansive 1950s shapes, another look sure to be copied by lesser talents. Suggesting a contemporary elegance even as they dipped into the past.

“We were thinking about the idea of ​​beauty and love, love of fashion, history or music,” Raf added, before a swarm of movie stars appeared, from the tiny Emma Watson to the gigantic Gwendoline Christie .