If there’s one thing Prada’s known for, it’s bags. Though founded by Mario Prada in 1913, the brand wasn’t truly put on the map until his granddaughter Miuccia, took over. She introduced Prada’s very first line of nylon bags in the mid-80s—officially cementing its position as a premier luxury Italian fashion house. Today, Prada is primarily lauded for its designer bags, including the Galleria, the Cleo, and—as recommended by our piece on 2024’s best investment designer bags—the Prada Cahier bag.
Yet this major fashion label’s portfolio has grown more prolific over the years. It now offers everything from clothes and sunglasses to shoes and even jewellery. Yet are these worth investing in as much as Prada’s bags are? Yes. Here’s why:
Simple yet durable luxury craftsmanship
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Though the fashion house is known for minimalist, clean lines without excess ornamentation, it ensures the highest quality control for all its products—meaning they’re extremely durable investments that will last you years. Prada’s clothing exemplifies this. During Milan Fashion Week for Spring/Summer 2024 alone, it went out of its way to highlight pieces created with the utmost thought and care. On the runway, models wore dresses, jackets, and suits exquisitely and painstakingly stitched and embroidered by hand, showcasing an ode to fashion creation that ensures stylish durability in all the brand’s work.
Trend-defying designs
As a luxury Italian fashion house with a legacy spanning more than a century, it’s no surprise that Prada has perfected the art of creating timeless pieces that outlast trend cycles. Prada sunglasses showcase this perfectly with its collection of classic styles, including aviator, cat-eye, and oversized frames that come in black colours and tortoiseshell patterns you can’t go wrong with. Even more contemporary models like the geometric Symbole sunglasses exude the brand’s principles of minimalism and versatility, marking them as a great investment buy that’ll still look good 10, 20, or 30 years from now.
Sustainability efforts
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Acquiring a Prada piece means you gain both a new fashion statement and a way to support the brand’s sustainability initiatives. Over 89% of the brand’s paper packaging is recycled, as is 61% of its plastic packaging. Even its Re-Nylon collection is a sustainable take on those classic first bags released by Miuccia Prada: it uses recycled plastic waste from oceans and landfills. Yet these initiatives extend beyond its bags. One need only look at the Prada jewellery collection Eternal Gold. Spanning both bold and subtle pieces, this line is made of only 100% certified recycled gold. You can even trace the origins of the gold in the accessory you choose by using the Aura Consortium Blockchain chip it comes with. That makes Prada offerings like this a worthy fashion and sustainability investment.
Appreciating value
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Prada creations are more than just good buys for your own wardrobe. Because they appreciate value over time, they’re also extremely worthy investment pieces. That’s mostly because of its brand value, which is in the millions. The craftsmanship and timeless designs of its offerings also appeal to the growing number of celebrities, fashion designers, and consumers Vogue notes are falling in love with vintage fashion. That’s why classic Prada shoe designs from the ’90s and earlier, like the brand’s pumps, loafers, and Mary Janes, continue to be extremely popular—with the latter quickly selling on sites like Instagram as a rare vintage find. The fact that you can purchase Prada shoes today and see their value appreciate over the years definitely makes them worth the splurge!
Prada is famous for their bags, but these aren’t the only things the luxury Italian fashion house puts time and effort into. Their jewellery, shoes, sunglasses, and ready-to-wear clothes all boast a refined design, craftsmanship, sustainability, and investment potential that make them worth buying, too.
