Carefully Dishevelled: Prada’s 2015 Spring/Summer Collection

Miuccia Prada loves to make an impact, and impacts don't come much bigger than the opening to her Spring/Summer 2015 Collection at Milan Fashion Week. The 150-ton dunes of purple-dyed sand she used as a backdrop certainly turned heads, but not so much as the shocking catwalk-comeback of Australian superstar Gemma Ward, who quit modeling in 2008. Gemma wore a dark, double-breasted coat featuring a contrast-stitched outline, teamed with knee-high stockings and two-tone platform clogs.

Prada always seeks to surprise even avid followers, once famously telling a reporter that her “idea is always to avoid nostalgia.” In the quest to do so, Prada passes over current trends for the chance to make her own.

Here, frayed edges and top stitching featured heavily. Alongside the models’ winged black eyeliner and pulled back, wet-look hair it oozed shameless sex appeal through carefully cultivated dishevelment of otherwise smart, tailored pieces. Miuccia Prada’s unique touch can be seen less in the cut of her pieces than in their meticulous deconstruction. Pristine, knee-length overcoats and skirt suits were emboldened with contrasting outer stitching. The color palette and fabrics evolved as the collection progressed, shifting from dark shades to include tan leather, faux fur and neons, but tying together these varying elements of Spring/Summer 2015 were high necklines, stockings and garments ending at the knee.