A Short History of Miu Miu

Playful yet practical, youthful yet timeless, discover how Prada’s little sister became fashion’s most powerful player.

It was the ultimate fashion plot-twist. In 2023, as Italian-based, It Girl favourite Miu Miu celebrated its 30th anniversary, industry reports announced its place as the world’s ‘hottest’ brand – surpassing, among others, its sophisticated big sister Prada.

It has consistently held this spot ever since, and last October, it was announced that its sales more than doubled in the third quarter of 2024, rising by an astonishing 105 percent. Amid fashion’s tumultuous landscape, Miu Miu’s unwavering success – and meteoric rise to becoming one of the world’s most sought-after brands – is a sartorial storyline that few probably saw coming.

But then, like any rebellious younger sibling, Miu Miu has always been irresistibly unpredictable.

Founded in 1992 (and publicly launched a year later) by the inimitable Miuccia Prada, it was named after her childhood moniker and born from a spirit of freedom, irreverence and unrestrained femininity.

Its cowgirl-themed first collection featured fringed suede jackets and patchwork prairie skirts, and when it debuted at New York Fashion Week in 1995, Kate Moss walked the runway. It made headlines, and marked the beginning of Miu Miu’s extraordinary reputation for catwalk shows that are as scene-stealing and unforgettable as the clothes themselves.

Throughout the ‘90s and ‘00s, Miu Miu remained highly in demand, lauded not only for its cutting-edge womenswear and accessories, but also for its innovative campaigns and collaborations with trail-blazing female photographers, models, actors and filmmakers.

But it is in recent years that its growth has been especially phenomenal. Its Spring / Summer 2022 collection was a social media sensation, captivating a younger generation of Miu Miu fans with its cropped tops and low-rise mini skirts which paid homage to the Y2K aesthetic – and led to the highest online demand for mini skirts in three years.

Since then, the brand has simply gone from strength to strength, spearheading key trends such as ‘librarian chic’ and ‘balletcore’ with its coveted cashmere cardigans and ballet flats, alongside, of course, its iconic matelassé bags and charms and wildly successful collaborations with New Balance and Church’s.

While there’s no mistaking Miu Miu’s youthful energy, its success lies also in its versatility and agelessness. The tops, skirts, knitwear and accessories are statement-making – yet wearable – and when 63-year-old Kristin Scott Thomas walked the catwalk for the Autumn / Winter 2024 collection, it was proof that while the brand is certainly beloved of Gen Z and young celebrities, the Miu Miu girl can be a woman of any age.