The Icon of Desire and Success 'Prada': How It Became a Global Luxury Brand [Hidden Business Story]

Prada's Unique Competitiveness, Technological Inventions, and Thorough Material Management
Enjoying a Second Heyday Through 'The Devil Wears Prada'
Prada as a Symbol of Desire and Pioneering... Perceived as a Favorite Among Successful People

Prada store. Photo by Yonhap News

[Asia Economy Reporter Suwan Kim] Prada (PRADA) is a famous Italian luxury fashion brand known for manufacturing and selling clothing, leather accessories, shoes, and bags. It gained a second heyday by symbolizing the success-driven fashion magazine editor in the well-known movie "The Devil Wears Prada." Currently distributing products in about 490 stores across approximately 80 countries worldwide, how has Prada managed to remain a consistently beloved fashion brand?

Official Supplier to the Italian House of Savoy... The Birth of Luxury Fashion Brand Prada

Prada, named after its founder Mario Prada, began in 1913 when Mario Prada and his brother Martino opened a leather goods store called Fratelli Prada ("Prada Brothers") in Milan, Italy.

Mario, a fashion designer, imported rare materials such as rhinestones (imitation diamonds) and tortoiseshell from around the world and applied them to fashion products, gaining popularity among European royalty and the upper class.

In particular, Prada was recognized for its quality to the extent of being designated as an official supplier to the Italian House of Savoy, which helped it transform into a fashion brand.

However, after World War II (1939?1945), as the European economy declined, Prada also entered a period of decline. Mario intended to pass the family business to his son Alberto Prada, but Alberto was not interested in continuing the business. Eventually, after Mario's death in 1958, his daughter Luisa Prada inherited the business and managed it for about 20 years.

Prada’s Unique Competitiveness... Technological Invention and Thorough Material Management

Exterior view of Prada's first store opened in 1913. / Photo by Prada Official Website Capture

Since 1913, Prada has produced bags using traditional handcrafted techniques. Mario developed Saffiano leather at the time of the company's founding. Saffiano, meaning "iron mesh" in Italian, is made by selecting the soft part of cowhide, stamping a herringbone or mesh pattern on it, and then polishing it to create a glossy finish.

Especially, the stamping process is a delicate operation carried out at 70?75 degrees Celsius for 10?15 seconds with great care. The finished leather is highly durable and resistant to stains.

Saffiano leather is widely used in wallets, shoes, and accessories. From the late 1970s, when market demand increased, Prada combined handcrafted production methods with modernized manufacturing facilities.

Moreover, Prada has strictly managed raw materials to ensure product quality. The leather and fabrics used are produced exclusively based on stringent requirements.

For product development, Prada uses about 2 million square meters annually of various leathers such as lambskin, cavallino (calf leather from the stomach of a cow), calfskin (leather from calves under one year old), struzzo (ostrich leather), and crocodile leather.

A Symbol of Successful Working Women... Becoming a Luxury Brand

Miuccia Prada, the designer of Prada and the third-generation chairman.
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Prada successfully transformed its image when Miuccia Prada, Mario’s granddaughter and Luisa’s daughter, took over design. Miuccia, who inherited Prada in 1977, expanded the business. Although she was a novice in fashion design, this allowed her to apply her unique approach to Prada.

She used innovative materials like Pocono nylon to introduce new fashion styles, growing Prada into a global brand. Pocono nylon is a type of waterproof fabric originally used for military supplies such as parachutes and tents, which was a groundbreaking attempt at a time when leather bags were the main product.

Using this material, she launched a backpack and tote bag set in 1979, which became popular in department stores and boutiques worldwide. These bags became a symbol of successful working women in the 1990s and greatly influenced fashion trends. Moreover, this helped Prada escape from the brink of bankruptcy.

This growth would not have been possible without Miuccia’s husband and CEO, Patrizio Bertelli. In 1978, Patrizio, who was in the leather business, partnered with Miuccia Prada and developed a leather line based on independent designs.

Patrizio joined Miuccia’s business, stopped importing British products, and played a major role in changing the existing product styles. Currently, Patrizio manages Prada’s operations while Miuccia is in charge of design, forming a two-person leadership system.

A Symbol of Desire and Pioneering Spirit, Prada

Prada is recognized as an icon symbolizing not only luxury but also the culture of desire and success. The 2006 movie "The Devil Wears Prada" featured Prada in its title.

This film, which portrays the world of fashion and fashion editors, showcases various luxury brands. The character Miranda Priestly, the editor-in-chief of the fashion magazine Runway played by Meryl Streep, is based on the real-life editor-in-chief of American Vogue and fashion icon Anna Wintour. Prada’s reputation as a brand favored by successful people is largely due to this association.

In fact, Prada enjoyed a second heyday in popularity among the public thanks to "The Devil Wears Prada."

Additionally, in the 2013 film "The Great Gatsby," Miuccia directly participated in production and created over 2,000 costumes to depict the lavish lifestyle of the upper class.

Thus, Prada has become a brand symbolizing desire and success among consumers. Prada’s sales reached 3.142 billion euros (approximately 3.6 billion dollars) in 2018, a 6% increase from the previous year.