Hand-embroidered mirrors and faceted stones add three-dimensional depth
Words by ELIZABETH VARNELL
Never the sort to shy away from a challenge, PRADA’s co–creative directors Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons designed a dress for their Spring/Summer 2025 collection that looks as though it were sculpted from metal. Requiring 24 hours of work in the atelier, the piece relies on a nearly weightless tulle base mechanically embroidered with silver sequins. Next, 144 round mirrors and sparkling crystals in a floral pattern are hand-embroidered, followed by more light-refracting stones that frame the reflective circles, lending depth and dimension. The embellished fabric finally reaches a mannequin to be cut and shaped, hanging in place for four hours to retain proper structure before it is sewn, lined, and reinforced with ribbon tape around the neck, shoulders, and armholes to support the finished look complete with 2,500 crystals. prada.com.
This story originally appeared in the Summer 2025 issue of C Magazine.
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