Sometimes the most inspirational fashion doesn’t come as an in-your-face design statement, but as a suggestion—like spotting a girl on the street who really knows how to put herself together. Watching Miu Miu’s collection for spring was just like that: a gentle mix of vintage and new, casual and decorative, anchored with the perfect accessories.
Miuccia Prada knows, for instance, exactly how to make one of those vibrant pink sixties cocktail shifts—the sort that come encrusted with jewels at the neck—wearable by throwing on a plain sage-green cardigan, pulling it in with a leather belt, and accessorizing with a pair of cute but grounding suede pumps. Voila, easy.
That kind of eclectic, offhand charm pervaded the entire collection from the little rumpled linen jackets and coats, to the denim shirtdresses and high-waisted pedal pushers, to the fifties dressmaker–style evening frocks. Better still, it was a show of irresistible accessories. In the hair, feathery fifties headbands. On the feet, printed plush-velvet high pumps or flat moccasins. In the hand, soft leather bags with bamboo handles or brilliant orange versions encrusted with beads. It all amounted to an idealized inventory of the lucky finds millions of girls spend their Saturdays seeking out at flea markets. Next season, no need to waste time: It’s all there, ready and waiting at that clever Miuccia’s stall.
