Prada Group - Luxury Industry Leader

COMPANY PROFILE
FEBRUARY 2018
www.pradagroup.com

“Thorough observation and curiosity for the world around us
have always been at the heart of the creativity and modernity
of the Prada Group.
In society, and thus in fashion, which is somehow a reflection
of it, the only constant is change.
The transformation and innovation of references, at the core
of any evolution, led us to interact with different cultural
disciplines, at times apparently far from our own, allowing us
to capture and anticipate the spirit of the times.
Today this is no longer enough: we must be the actors of
change, with the flexibility required to translate the demands
of the market and the society into tangible actions that inform
our way to do business.”
Miuccia Prada & Patrizio Bertelli
A leading player in the luxury industry, Prada Group is an experimental
workshop of ideas.
Unfettered by preconceived style codes, the creations of the Group’s
brands – Prada, Miu Miu, Church’s, Car Shoe and Pasticceria Marchesi
– represent the answer to the exploration of society, at the same time,
serving as precursors and pioneers of ever-changing scenarios.
A perspective that places at the heart of its inspiring and operative
principles basic values as uncompromised quality, valorisation of labour
and freedom of creative expression.
P R A D A G R O U P
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G R O U P P R O F I L E
Prada Women’s Store in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, MilanMario Prada portrayed by the Milanese artist Angelo Galli in the Prada Women’s store
in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, Milan, 1940
The history of the Group begins in 1913 when Mario Prada, Miuccia
Prada’s grandfather, opened the first Prada store in Milan.
Located in the prestigious Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II, the exclusive
Prada boutique offered luggage and luxury goods manufactured with
the finest artisanal techniques, using exquisite materials.
The boutique soon establishes itself as elegant shopping destination for
the most prestigious Italian and European costumers, consolidating its
role in 1919 with the title of Official Supplier of the Italian Royal House,
which allows the brand to include the House of Savoy coat of arms and
knotted rope design in its trademark logo.
Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli started working together in the late
1970’s, laying the foundation for the future international expansion
of the Group; Patrizio Bertelli pioneered the introduction of a new
business model in the luxury industry, based on the direct control of
all processes, applying rigorous quality criteria through all stages of
production. A business model that goes hand in hand with Miuccia
Prada’s maverick creativity, which commanded international attention
for its innovative approach inspired by her unconventional observation
of society that allows her to anticipate - and often influence – fashion
and style trends.
Today the Prada brand offers men’s and women’s leather goods,
clothing and footwear, combining contemporary, innovative and
sophisticated design with the uniqueness of handcrafted products.
Prada also operates in the eyewear and fragrance sector.
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P R A D A
The Prada “garden factory” in Valvigna (Arezzo) Black Nylon, Prada Donna SS2018 Advertising Campaign
The Prada Group also includes: Miu Miu - Miuccia Prada’s “other soul”
- a brand with a provocative, nonchalant and sophisticated attitude;
Church’s, leading traditional high-end men’s footwear manufacturer;
Car Shoe, footwear brand known for its iconic studded rubber sole
moccasin, and Pasticceria Marchesi, historic pastry shop, renown for
its exceptional contemporary interpretation of traditional specialties.
On June 24, 2011, Prada Spa (HKSE code: 1913) listed 20% of its
shares on the Hong Kong stock exchange, where the company was
valued at €9.2 billion.
The Group’s products are manufactured in 18 company-owned sites,
15 of which are located in Italy, 1 in United Kingdom, 1 in France,
and 1 in Romania and by a network of long-standing and highly
experienced contractors.
Each stage of the production process is directly monitored and
controlled: from the selection to the purchase of raw materials
(including external suppliers), from the fabrication of prototypes, to
the planning and coordination of in-house and outsourced production.
As of January 31st, 2017, the Group’s distribution network extends
across 75 countries, counting 620 Directly Operated Stores, brand’s
e-commerce, a selection of luxury department stores and retailers in
the most prestigious and exclusive locations and the most important
e-tailers.
An unconventional exploration of our society inspires an innovative
approach through which Prada elaborates expressive codes that transcend
all trends. Style statements that result in creations that reinterpret reality
through unusual perspectives.
Unfettered from conceptual limitations and from the strict commitment
to stylistic cohesion, the aesthetic codes of the brand transcend products
bringing ideas and ideals to life through its clothes and accessories, which
become tools of confident self-expression.
Through her work, Miuccia Prada challenges pre-conceived aesthetic
patterns. Prada is an expression of society, society always changes and
Prada evolves accordingly. What’s simple and classic is intentionally
distorted, reconsidered and revised in the tireless search of new
perspectives. In an intellectual commitment towards the reinterpretation
of good taste, Prada elects conceptuality as its preferred form of
expression.
What is considered beautiful and controversial are purposely mixed in
an incessant play between past, present and future, where the bourgeois
codes are often broken down and rebuilt.
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