What type of business is Prada?

Prada S.p.A. is an Italian luxury fashion house founded in 1913 in Milan by Mario Prada. It specializes in leather handbags, travel accessories, shoes, ready-to-wear, and other fashion accessories. Prada licenses its name and branding to Luxottica for eyewear and L’Oréal for fragrances.

The first store opened in 1913 in the prestigious Galleria Vittorio Emmanuele II in Milan, Italy. Mario Prada opened the leather goods shop with his brother, Martino. The store sold bags, trunks, steamers, and travel accessories.

In 1919, it was awarded the title of Official Supplier of the Italian Royal House. This prestigious distinction allowed Prada to display the House of Savoy coat of arms and knotted rope design in its trademark logo. This honor is what makes it a symbol of the Italian aristocracy.

Mario Prada excluded the women in his family from working for his company. Ironically, his only son had no interest in the family business, so his daughter Luisa Prada took over the family business and ran it for almost twenty years.

The stores were known for their clean aesthetic as well as the unique green hue the walls were painted. The first “green store” opened in Milan in Via della Spiga. Boutiques in London, Madrid, Tokyo, Paris, and Tokyo followed.

Its originality made it one of the most influential fashion houses, and the brand became a premium status symbol in the 1990s. It houses several smaller brands, such as Miu Miu, Church’s, Car Shoe, and Pasticceria Marchesi.