Prada’s Sensory Showcase Explores the Pleasure of Tactility

Designed by Dutch architect Rem Koolhaas and his studio AMO, the setting consists of a series of abstract, interconnected spaces, each clad in different stimulating and juxtaposing materials. Dualities of hard and soft as well as warm and cold are inverted from room to room, swapping from walls to floors to create an illusory experience. 

In the first room, walls of red faux fur pair with a glossy black resin floor. Next, cool white curved marble walls sit against a sky blue plush carpet. The third room features deep purple hairy walls and a high-shine green-veined marble floor. Finally, the route finishes in a hexagonal room of pastel pink plastered walls and a soft white fur ground. 

The design of the showspace is echoed in the collection itself, where colours clash, and leathers and classic pinstripe suiting combines with geometric patterned jacquards and textural bouclé tweeds.

Although the catwalk was live streamed and the entire set and collection are available to explore digitally online, sustainability remains a key focus. All fixtures, fittings and materials from the presentation will be upcycled and reused in future Prada installations and pop-ups, and donated to a Meta, a Milan-based circular economy project which offers sustainable solutions to waste disposal within ephemeral events.

While virtual events have become a necessity due to Covid-19, such digital formats offer many opportunities for brands to re-engage with consumers and overhaul outdated, unsustainable systems. See Covid-19: Fashion Industry Survival Strategies and Light-Impact Events for further insights.

In an increasingly digital age, CMF that stimulates our intrinsic need for touch and tactility is essential. See The Sensory Opportunity for lucrative sensory opportunities and CMF Industry View: Home Accessories 2020 for tactile materials and products.