Miu Miu has long been a symbol of subversive femininity and eccentricity. Launched in 1993 by Miuccia Prada as a place for experimentation, the label constantly reinvents what it means to be both young and elegant. Writers keep coming back to this balance of irony, intellect, and charm, and I’m no exception. I have written about Miu Miu before, but this time I wanted to decode its codes and paradoxes, letter by letter.
A is for …
Arcadie. Launched in 2023, the bag takes its name from the mythological Greek region of Arcadia, symbolizing a utopian vision of beauty and harmony. The piece features a classic top-handle silhouette with a rectangular shape in matelassé quilted leather.
Avant-garde. Miu Miu deliberately blurs the line between good and bad taste, challenging traditional ideas of beauty.
B is for …
Ballet Flats. Whether in silk, leather, suede, or else, they have become a signature code of the maison.
Banality. Miuccia Prada often finds beauty in the banal, transforming prim and proper clothes into extraordinary ones.
C is for …
Chloé Sevigny. The classic Miu Miu girl whose messy charm perfectly mirrors the label’s ethos. She both starred in and walked the SS 1996 collection.
Crystals. Used in anything and everything, they add irony to otherwise ordinary pieces.
D is for …
Double M.
E is for …
Emma Corrin. The contemporary Miu Miu girl.
Embroidered Panties. Instead of trousers.
F is for …
Fashion with a Capital F. Miu Miu sets trends instead of following them.
Femininity. One of the label’s core values. Miu Miu explores it not as a fixed concept, but as an evolving one.
FW 2022. A continuation from the iconic SS 2022 collection.
G is for …
Geeky. But chic.
Glen Luchford. As the label’s photographer from late 1990s and early 2000s campaigns, he helped define the label’s cinematic tone.
H is for …
Hailey Bieber. An unexpected pairing for the SS 2022 campaign, she brought refinement to Miu Miu’s offbeat aesthetic.
High/Low. Everyday dressing with luxury elements. Think cotton T-shirts or undies with elaborate embroidery.
Humor. To wear Miuccia Prada’s clothes correctly, one must wear them tongue-in-cheek, as the designer herself does.
I is for …
Individuality. Another of the label’s core values. Miu Miu emphasizes one’s distinct look and mood through its clothing as well as clever styling and casting.
Intellectuality. Even when clothes seem simple or naïve, there’s a deeper meaning behind them. Miuccia Prada is a master at adding nuances to her designs.
J is for …
Jewelry. With plenty of shimmer.
K is for …
Kendall Jenner. Another unexpected pairing for the SS 2023 campaign, she starred in the unfiltered and undone campaign.
L is for …
Lotta Volkova. As the label’s stylist since 2020, she has shaped Miu Miu’s raw and slightly wrong campaigns and runway shows, helping the brand reach its cult status among younger audiences.
Low Heels with Socks. A duo that epitomizes the label’s quirky femininity.
M is for …
Metalassé. Introduced in the early 2010s, the intricate quilting has become a Miu Miu signature. It is most often seen in leather but has recently extended to silk and suede as well.
Micro Hemlines. Most notably in SS 2022 and FW 2022.
Miuccia Prada. The one behind it all.
N is for …
New Balance. Fashion meets function.
Nickname. Miu Miu is the name her family called her when she was a child, setting the tone for the brand’s personal essence.
O is for …
Opposites. Miu Miu thrives in the space between paradoxes—femininity and masculinity, good taste and bad taste, intellectuality and superficiality.
P is for …
Palais d’Iéna. The neoclassical Parisian venue where the Miu Miu show traditionally takes place.
Pink. The signature color that stamps the label’s boxes, shopping bags, and beyond.
Prada. Miu Miu’s older sister. As Miuccia Prada once said, “Prada, at the end, is what I am, and Miu Miu is what I would like to be”.
Q is for …
Queer. Miu Miu blurs the lines between masculine and feminine through its design, diverse casting, and subversive styling.
R is for …
Regard. Glasses.
S is for …
SS 2000. A personal favorite.
SS 2022. The collection that became instantly iconic. With chopped-up cable-knit sweaters, pleated micro-skirts, and exposed underwear, Miu Miu rewrote the codes of uniform dressing.
T is for …
Tiny Bag Charm. Because why not a micro-Wander charming your Wander bag?
U is for …
Underwear/Outerwear. A maison’s code in which underwear becomes outerwear and vice versa, blurring the line between public and private.
Uniform. But unique.
Upcycled. A series of collections made from vintage pieces, reinterpreted through Miu Miu’s aesthetic codes. The project echoes the label’s commitment to sustainability and emphasizes its ethos of construction through deconstruction.
V is for …
Vintage. Miu Miu consistently draws from the past, successfully reinterpreting references into contemporary collections.
W is for …
Wander. Launched in 2021, the bag was inspired by the philosophy of curiosity. The curved shape accentuates femininity and the handle offers practicality, giving you the freedom to wander at will.
Women’s Tales. A series of short films directed by renowned female directors who explore femininity of the 21st century through Miu Miu’s lens.
X is for …
X.
Y is for …
Youth. Not age, but attitude.
Z is for …
Zeitgeist. Miuccia Prada sets the mood within the fashion industry, over and over and over again.
Did I miss anything you consider essential? Let me know in the comments section. I would love to grow this A to Z with your suggestions!