Mario Prada (born in

Milan Milan ( , , Lombard: ; it, Milano ) is a city in northern Italy, capital of Lombardy, and the second-most populous city proper in Italy after Rome. The city proper has a population of about 1.4 million, while its metropolitan city h ...

; died in 1958) was the founder and original designer of the fashion label

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 t ...

, a company specializing in many high fashion goods for men and women, including

shoes A shoe is an item of footwear intended to protect and comfort the human foot. They are often worn with a sock. Shoes are also used as an item of decoration and fashion. The design of shoes has varied enormously through time and from culture t ...

handbags A handbag, commonly known as a purse or pocketbook in North American English, is a handled medium-to-large bag used to carry personal items. Purse, handbag or pouch The term "purse" originally referred to a small bag for holding coins. In many ...

luggage Baggage or luggage consists of bags, cases, and containers which hold a traveler's personal articles while the traveler is in transit. A modern traveler can be expected to have packages containing clothing, toiletries, small possessions, trip ...

, and

leather Leather is a strong, flexible and durable material obtained from the tanning, or chemical treatment, of animal skins and hides to prevent decay. The most common leathers come from cattle, sheep, goats, equine animals, buffalo, pigs and hogs, ...

goods.lifeinitaly web article on Prada
/ref> Prada was founded in 1913.

Founding of Prada

Prada was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada and his brother Martino as Fratelli Prada (English: ''Prada Brothers''). The company was originally headquartered in

, Italy. The shop sold leather goods and imported English steamer trunks and handbags. Mario Prada did not believe that women should have a role in business, so he prevented female family members from entering into his company. Mario's son harboured no interest in the business, so it was Mario's daughter Luisa Prada who took the helm of Prada as his successor and ran it for almost twenty years. Her own daughter,

Miuccia Prada Miuccia Bianchi Prada (; born Maria Bianchi on 10 May 1949) is an Italian billionaire fashion designer and businesswoman. She is the head designer of Prada and the founder of its subsidiary Miu Miu. As of October 2021, ''Forbes'' estimated her n ...

, joined the company in 1970, eventually taking over for her mother in 1978.

References

1958 deaths Fashion designers from Milan Year of birth missing Prada {{Italy-business-bio-stub

Founding of Prada

See also

References