I was scrolling through my tumblr and landed on this photo of Adit Priscilla from the Miu Miu FW23 show and that put me in a very good place, mentally. It brought back memories of being in London earlier this year when the show had just happened. We (Whak&Mo plus their friends D&A) huddled around the TV in Earls Court (where our airbnb was) to watched the show, all in awe of what we had just witnessed. I also remember a lot of the looks being posted on “the girls that get it” instagram stories. Those who know knew. Miuccia had done it again.
It’s the simplicity yet elegance of the pieces and the way the clothes were put together that got me. The reinterpretation of a streetwear staple—the hoodie—and the way it was worn was what piqued my interest, it intrigued me. While the hoodies in this show were a little thicker and crafted from different materials compared to the average everyday hoodie, what truly distinguished them in the show for me was the styling approach. That’s what highlighted them and set them apart to me.
The FW23 show was titled “Ways of Looking” and on the Miu Miu website, the collection is described as follows:
“A point of view as an act of intervention and invention. The Fall/Winter 2023 Miu Miu Collection by Miuccia Prada is focused on the instinctive process of looking, ways of seeing, and how an act of observation can, in turn, transform the object of its focus. Looking is a window to thinking. Technique and materialization can actively change how outfits are visually read, and how we understand them.”
I have been intrigued by this idea of the “ways of seeing” things for the longest time and that’s why those words have been on my instagram and twitter bio for forever. Miuccia says “Technique and materialization can actively change how outfits are visually read, and how we understand them.” and I say, “Not only can technique and materialization actively change how outfits are visually read and how we understand them, the manner in which we pair these items together can also change the way outfits are read”.
Rereading this after having it in my drafts for a little while makes me question the word “technique”. ChatGPT defines it as the method, skill, or approach used to accomplish a particular task or achieve a desired result, especially in the context of art, performance, or craftsmanship. So maybe Miuccia was right and my naive know it all 23-yo self decided to argue with her but yh. Styling is a technique and that actively changed how I read these outfits. She was right.
The collection was styled by Lotta Volkova and I love love love her spectacular storytelling with these pieces. If you’re not hip to Lotta, you need to tap in. I admire how far she has come from her Vetements days- when I got hip to her. I think the coolest thing about her is her ability to seamlessly transition from the super edgy alt-punk stuff to this pristine minimal space that Miu Miu occupies where everything is so “clean” and still be able to make you deeply feel and appreciate it. This past season she styled the Mowalola show and thats just another testament to her versatility……this striking contrast in one persons ability is the type of shit that I love.
Back to the Collection…
Colours. The way colours are paired too is another remarkable aspect of this collection. The colours used on the accessories [in this part, describe how well they go with the clothes] along with certain pieces display a sense of play being explored and this extends to the silhouettes as well. Overall, this collection exudes youthful and playful energy, yet it demands a certain level of seriousness and respect. I love that they both exist here.
I really loved the accessories in this show as well. The small glasses, the shoes and the bags truly contributed to the overall narrative of the show.
All in all this whole experience of looking at this collection left me feeling really good and I wanted to pass on that good feeling to you. So enjoy these detail images and if you want to see the full collection go HERE. Believe me, it's absolutely worth your time. This show was something.