Copy Editor: Jacob Marion
Graphic Designer: Fatema Kaderbhai
In 2023, it’s all about Miu Miu.
The brand has been at the forefront of our minds since the debut of its Y2K-inspired micro-mini set last year, but it’s been a trendsetter for the 1990s and Y2K revival for years. Taking its name from the label’s designer, Miuccia Prada, Miu Miu replicates the very essence of youth. It doesn’t take itself too seriously, yet it consistently plays on industry trends in a way that’s uniquely smart. The Miu Miu muse is flirtatious, yet chic; sophisticated, yet playful. At its core, Miu Miu subverts the expectations the industry puts on them.
Miu Miu’s archive of sexy “librarian chic” glasses and pretty mules reveal something that we’ve perhaps known for years; the brand is a trendsetter in every sense of the word. Below are some of our favourite micro-trends with Miu Miu at its heart.
Balletcore
Playful hyper-femininity is at the center of Miu Miu’s interpretation of this trend. The label embraces ballet-core completely, pairing leg warmers with baby pink ballet flats and heels, ballet-inspired headbands accessorizing a ‘satin underwear over a bodysuit’ look. Across the board, the Miu Miu ballet flat and the headband were the accessories of the season. While designers have been doing balletcore for years–UK-based Simone Rocha is one of my favourites–Miu Miu’s youthful and playful personality shines through in their version of this trend.
Motomami
For its FW22 collection, Miu Miu’s style codes formed a two-way conversation with the biker-chic trend. Biker jackets and boots were paired with classic Miu Miu pieces: sheer drapes, stylized flowers, lace dresses, cardigans, peter pan collars, and double-belted minis (with visible satin lingerie, of course). Plus, Miu Miu introduced its limited edition sustainable collection, Upcycled, which featured vintage-inspired biker-chic jackets.
Fun fact: Motomami–a term coined by Rosalía, one of the brand’s muses–blends classic menswear pieces with a more lighthearted style.
Librarian Chic
Sexy librarian. That was Miu Miu’s concept for Fall/Winter 2023–and it worked. The Miu Miu muse is continuing one of my personal favourite trends. They’re in deep green leather armchairs, surrounded by bookshelves, with cat-eye framed glasses perched on their noses. They’re diving into the classics, wearing cardigans and stockings and leg warmers… and they look good doing it.
Old Money Chic
There’s no one more Miu Miu than Blair Waldorf, one of the main characters of the CW-run “Gossip Girl.” Preppy-yet-classic (and always slightly ugly–a compliment in Miuccia Prada’s vision) is what makes Miu Miu so beloved. But apart from its evergreen pieces, Miu Miu also began experimenting with tennis club outfits and preppy sportswear, staying true to their design and their concept.
The Micro Mini
The viral Miu Miu set needs no introduction. It’s peak runway fashion, and it epitomizes the brand. It’s Y2K, it’s sexy and fun, preppy and subversive, empowering yet provocative. Beyond that, it’s slightly absurd. It has all the makings of an It-trend.
The question, then, is why hasn’t Miu Miu fizzled out of style yet, if so much of its image is “trendy?” After all, the label has found itself at the heart of practically every major trend in the 2020s–and if you’re always trendy instead of “never going out of style” in the fashion industry… it’s no less than an insult.
Anna Ross, WGSN’s Associate Editor of Womenswear, said it best in an interview with Grazia UK, “What differentiates Miu Miu and makes it so successful? It speaks to people on another level than simply aesthetics.”
And it’s true, Miu Miu sells its subversion, its preppy-chic appeal, its ironic sophistication. It doesn’t do biker-chic like everyone else, it does preppy biker-chic, with lace and embellishments. It makes office wear sexy, “grandma-core” flirtatious. Its cargo skirts are absurdist, exaggerated and fun.
It doesn’t do trends like Pinterest or the runway, but like Miu Miu–effectively never going out of style.
