When you have creative powerhouses like Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons come together on a collection, it creates hype, it generates buzz. It easily climbs the ranks to become of the year’s most anticipated lines, simply based on the sheer wonder of what the collective mindsets of the two will birth. And in many ways, the Prada SS22 Menswear Collection is what we imagined it would be, after having seen their previous collaborations.

The collection clearly takes cues from Simons’ fascination with shape and silhouette, creating crisp detail and clearly defined ideas of how they want the clothing to shape the body. Each ensemble is a straight line which gives the eye the chance to look everywhere while still following a defined path from the top to the bottom.

And speaking of the top, bucket hats are clearly a major element, featuring in almost every look and tying the outfit together in a way that signifies attention to detail. Of course, Prada’s bucket hats are as well known as they come in the luxury fashion market, so it is not surprising to see them be part of the line. But seeing them front and center gives them a new opportunity to shine while showing off range and completeness.

The collection itself feels, for lack of a better term, “business casual” in a way, blending overcoats and breasted blazers with rompers and square neck vests. The form also leans heavily into the gender-bending aspect of 2020s fashion, going beyond simply androgyny to actually borrow elements from traditionally female-body attire, such as skirt fits and rompers. It’s another indication of the Simons trademark look at fashion through the lens of youth subculture with the Prada level of sophistication.

Although, for a collection that features so much of a nod to the sun and warm weather, it seems hardly utilitarian for the purpose, with the generosity of darker shades and blacks that abound, as well as the layered ensembles. There’s a slight imbalance in the way the top and bottom halves of the looks represent the time they’re meant for, although that could just be a way to highlight seasonal fluidity, a concept that has become more popular as the binary limits of fashion have expanded.

The collection was filmed at the Fondazione’s Milan Deposito as well as in Sardinia, Italy, for a mix of structured and free settings, “the artificial and natural,” as they say. The brand is also working on supporting the MEDSEA Foundation working out of Sardinia to help in the reforestation of Posidonia Oceanica meadows, a marine plant endemic to the region that acts as an important marine habitat and mitigator of climate change. 

Set against the beautiful hues of Sardinia blue, check out Prada’s Menswear SS22 Collection below: