Rumours have proliferated since late last year that a succession plan was being put into place at Prada, but now, we have it in writing: Raf Simons is joining Miuccia Prada as co-creative director.

The announcement came at a hastily called press conference in Milan on Sunday 23 February to an assembled group of journalists. As of 2 April 2020, Simons will work in partnership with Mrs Prada “with equal responsibilities for creative input and decision-making”. The first collection co-designed by the duo will be the spring/summer 2021 collection, shown in Milan in September 2020.

A press release issued by the Prada Group sought to emphasise the fact that the collaboration was the result of ongoing mutual admiration. “This partnership, encompassing all creative facets of the Prada label, is born from a deep reciprocal respect and from an open conversation – it is a mutual decision, proposed and determined by both parties,” it read. “It opens a new dialogue, between designers widely acknowledged as two of the most important and influential of today.”

The mood at the conference, where Miuccia and Raf appeared side by side seated on green mid-century velvet chairs, was one of happy surprise: despite numerous reports that Mr Simons – who has not had a high-profile job in the fashion industry since he departed Calvin Klein in 2018 after just two years at the helm – would be taking the reins at Prada, many placed blind faith in Miuccia’s supernatural ability to power on and continue to reset fashion’s seasonal agenda.

The highly unusual decision appears to be one facet of a carefully thought out succession strategy. For fashion fans, it promises endless delights: two such revered designers joining forces on one of the industry’s most influential brands could turn out to be a master stroke.

Raf Simons, who has long admired Prada’s work and attended many of her shows, commented: “Prada is a brand I’ve been interested in all my life. I always look for new challenges.” When asked whether he could identify in Miuccia strengths he himself did not possess as a designer, he said, “I do. I prefer not to discuss [our differences]. A good political party is usually a collaboration between people that’s then offered to an audience. At this point it’s just: Let’s do it.”

Prada, for her part, was full of admiration for Simons and ebullient about the future of the brand. “I always loved everything he did, so there’s not the possibility that I don’t like what we figure out.” Asked whether the decision would facilitate her partially stepping back from the brand, she joked, “I like working and I look forward to working more – don’t make me older than I am. Sincerely, I think I will have to work more. I wish I would have more time [to relax] but I doubt it.” At the same time, she was clear that the partnership with Simons was a permanent arrangement. “The contract is forever, there is no end date to the contract.”

Patrizio Bertelli, the Prada Group’s chief executive, and Prada’s husband, said that he had first met Simons in 2005 in Antwerp, when he joined Jil Sander. “We are connected in many different ways – it’s not just a professional but a human relationship.” He recognised the unusual nature of the pairing, conceding, “It’s maybe the first time in the history of fashion that two individual designers decided to work together and collaborate.”

He continued: “The Prada Group has proven good at being at the forefront of change. We want to work with a specific identity and rationale and share our views with others. It’s for people who have a keen sense of aesthetic – people who are not selfish and ego-centered, this is the way to work together.”

The signs were all there – beginning with a favourably received autumn/winter 2020 collection earlier this week, that many interpreted as a “greatest hits” collection. It even featured archival prints, in the case of several handbags. Mrs Prada, who turned 70 last year, had evidently decided to end one chapter of her involvement at the company she inherited from her father in 1978 on a well-deserved high.

Miuccia, who had worked at her father’s ailing luggage business for eight years before taking control of the company, is credited with transforming Prada into a billion-dollar business. Succession worries were initially put to rest with the appointment of Lorenzo Bertelli, her 31-year-old son, as head of marketing and communications, having retired from a career as a rally driver, in September 2017.

What makes Raf and Miuccia such a perfect match? Both designers are united in their distaste for endless growth, and the sacrifice of aesthetics for commercial gain. As Simons said in Sunday’s press conference: “One of the main reasons why Miuccia and I have been talking a lot over many years is that we question the position of creativity in general, in a climate in fashion that is more and more becoming, and more and more focuses, on the business aspects.” He was quick to point out that commercial sales were of course an important consideration, but commented that the duo “feel the need to join as creative people in dialogue to create emotion”. “Good,” responded Miuccia.

Now, the only thing that remains is whether the spring collection – their first endeavour as a design duo – will live up to the hype.

Previously published on British Vogue