Miu Miu’s Purposeful Inelegance
Watching the Miu Miu runway was like watching a woman from a movie set in the early 2000s running to work late and disheveled. It was Anne Hathaway in The Devil Wears Prada, before her transformation. It was the nerdy girl in the teenage romantic comedy, before she takes off her glasses.
Photo: Isidore Montag via Vogue
Clothes were styled to look frumpy on purpose, models wore glasses, hair was teased to look disheveled. A tan cardigan buttoned all the way up and tucked into sheer tights, worn under an equally sheer polka dotted skirt. Leggings, sweatshirt, and sneakers, but with a coat on top. A cocktail dress, a bag clutched in one hand, keys dangling from a finger.
Photos: Isidore Montag via Vogue
All of these looks exist in a transitive space. They represent rushing women, heading straight to the office from the gym, or the dance studio, or from the apartment of a one night stand. They are not in a set space, but instead, they are all on the street, shuffling to their next destination.
The color scheme was muted, in grays, tans, and ochres. Here and there, a bit of subdued green, pink, and purple. These colors, and the clothes themselves, reinforced a very purposeful inelegance in this collection; these are the colors worn by a librarian, not a chic businesswoman.
Photos: Isidore Montag via Vogue
Miu Miu embraced the no-pants trend whole-heartedly; models strutted down the runway wearing briefs and transparent tights, with nothing else on the bottom. Also notable is that almost every item modeled bore the Miu Miu logo, evidence that this is a ready-to-wear collection that goal is, before everything else, to sell.
Some of the most successful looks were layers of sheer clothing with applique flowers. These looks knew exactly how to utilize sheer fabrics, creating complex, rich, and layered looks.
Photos: Isidore Montag via Vogue
This collection speaks to young people, confident but still unsure of exactly who they are. It represents a venture into adulthood before a solidified sense of identity.