Prada mixes romantic and urban for "raw elegance" in Milan

MILAN - Italian fashion house Prada ventured in a new post-industrial world for her introvert woman at Milan fashion week on Thursday.

The trend-setting designer, whose collections are closely-watched by fashion critics, mixed romantic and urban looks for a refined style she called "raw elegance".

"What preoccupies me is impossibility. Women cannot be romantic, you have to be politically correct. There are so many restrictions," Miuccia Prada said in the backstage of her show. The designer created skirts with irregular hems of different lengths and fabrics, while tops were worn open on the shoulders. Other models wore chequered, romantic dresses with ample skirts.

Assisted by design studio AMO, Prada turned its show space into an industrial landscape where the audience took seat on an irregular wooden island at the centre. A romantic landscape was projected on the walls alongside shadows of industrial devices. "We wanted to express what women think," Prada told reporters after the show. The designer created handbags in tweed, giving a sporty touch to luxury items.

The Hong-Kong listed fashion house, which competes with LVMH's Louis Vuitton and PPR's Gucci, said on Tuesday preliminary revenues rose 29 percent to 3.3 billion euros (2.8 billion pounds) for the 12 months ended in January.

The company declined to comment on Thursday on media reports that it may buy Milan's renowned coffee house Cova, located in Via Montenapoleone, in the heart of the fashion district.

Reporting by Antonella Ciancio; Editing by Jason Webb