With the S/S 26 Miu Miu show, Miuccia Prada wanted to remind everyone of the reality of life. Specifically, she wanted to call to mind the actuality that hard work is necessary for anything, even beauty, glamour, and fashion. Before seeing the collection or reading the show notes, guests were greeted to a transformed Palais d'léna made to look like the dining facility of a factory with long Formica tables and pink rubberized floors. Aptly, the show notes were titled At Work, and the collection was described as "a consideration of the work of women—their challenges, adversity, experience. Its invisibility is confronted and addressed, recognized, and valorized."
An Ever-Expanding Miu Miu Fan Club
Miu Miu fans have been around since 1993 when Prada created the brand, but since the viral Miu Miu micro-mini, there are more tastemakers, celebrities, and editors than ever vying for a coveted spot in the brand's fan club. The spring/summer 2026 guests included Alexa Chung, Petra Collins, Emma Corrin, Nina Dobrev, Paloma Elsesser, Wonyoung Jang, and more.
The Miu Miu Girl Wears Apron Dresses Now
The theme of work in the collection came across as soon as the first model walked down the runway wearing a canvas blue apron. She was followed by models in protective leather aprons and drill pinafores. Sometimes, these aprons were accessorized with leather belts with D rings meant for fastening equipment. It was as if the models were just passing by guests on their way to clock in at a factory.
Later on in the show was a parade of a different kind of apron. These pieces were more domestic and less industrial, with floral patterns and lace details more akin to those preferred by homemakers. They felt familiar, like something a mom, grandmother, or great grandmother would wear while she juggled several tasks at once and still managed to make you feel loved.
While the apron is often something only seen within the walls of a home or a workshop, Prada saw it as something that deserved to be platformed and considered beautiful. "The apron, as a universal symbol of work, is afforded a nobility and respect," she wrote. "Cultural meanings of this garment can shift radically according to changes in materialization and form—from domiciliary to clinical to industrial, physical labor to caregiving, primary and tertiary industries and the domestic sphere. A single garment containing multitudes." Now, it'll likely have its next multitude as an It item that's sure to be trending by 2026.
Only Miuccia Prada Can Bring Back Statement Necklaces and Bandanas
Aside from the leather belts, the apron dresses were often accessorized with chunky necklaces and bold printed bandanas. The latter is another unofficial part of the factory worker uniform, but when styled with necklaces, they were reminiscent of the statement-necklace craze of the mid-2010s. They're often looked back at as a moment of classic millennial twee cringe, but if anyone can bring them back, it would be Prada. Plus, twee is set for a comeback any day now, so get your whimsy—and chunky neckwear—ready.
The Reality of Clothes for a Working Life
Something that's so special about Miu Miu is that Prada is able to make the mundane feel worthy of adoration. She transforms items you've seen so many times over and thought nothing of and makes them something you suddenly desire. A couple of seasons ago, she did this with bags overstuffed with a change of clothing meant to represent the busy life so many of us live, where we're expected to be many people at once.
That overstuffed bag was maybe once something you'd feel ashamed of wearing, but Prada made it something cool—something to be imitated intentionally. She is always showing us that a busy life is a beautiful one, and the spring/summer 2026 collection doubled down on that narrative. Why hide the fact that you work hard instead of quite literally wearing it on your sleeve?
