What lies behind a luxury purchase: the case of Prada’s hooped skirt

How many times have we passed in front of the windows of luxury and haute couture boutiques and heard comments about high costs and comparisons with the now prevailing (and polluting) fast fashion market? Well, behind every haute couture creation lies a world of research, craftsmanship, attention to detail and history.

Let’s take, for example, one of the items currently at the top of the wish list of all fashionistas, the undisputed star of the latest Milan fashion shows: Prada’s mirrored-effect skirt with geometric circles, a must-have for the spring/summer 2025 collection.

What fascinates trendsetters above all is the visual, almost spatial effect, thanks to a hypnotic result of careful workmanship that combines the futuristic aesthetics of the 1960s with unparalleled craftsmanship. The manufacturing process, in fact, starts with calfskin leather that is laminated, i.e. coated with a very thin metal leaf.

The complex method is made possible thanks to a plate press where, thanks to the heat, a special adhesive welds the foil to the leather, evening out the fabric and creating the bewitching mirrored effect. Once the leather has been obtained, the holes are made by automatic cutting.

It is here that the hoops are then applied, made of galvanised ABS: a plastic material capable of being both light and resistant. In this way the finish becomes shiny and glossy so as to obtain a decorative result that does not weigh down the garment or alter its structure. Just as in the creation of a work of art or design architecture, the handling of the material in each process is by no means simple: during the process, in fact, it is essential not to scratch the foil by protecting every centimetre of the surface.

Hours of study, creation and careful attention to detail: all these elements combine to define this garment, just as they do in the production of numerous fashion and high jewellery creations, drawing, in fact, a clear distinction with products from the fast fashion chain. It is also this that makes a luxury item a unique and precious commodity capable of transforming cost into value.

We like to tell what is hidden in every purchase in Galleria Cavour because luxury is a broad concept capable of embracing horizons of quality that transform every product into a story.