File: 2024 New Year Vision (5) - The Superficial Anatomy of Elegance: Prada's "The Dinner Guests" Campaign

Fashion is not merely a platform for showcasing clothing or accessories but a medium that captures the zeitgeist and reflects societal transformations. Since the late 20th century, Prada has positioned itself not only as a fashion brand but also as a commentary on thought and culture. Miuccia Prada’s sensitivities toward feminism, artistic expression, and social change have propelled the brand beyond conventional aesthetic boundaries. However, when we look at The Dinner Guests campaign, this depth and emotion seem unfortunately confined to a superficial elegance. The idea that elegance should serve as a narrative tool rather than just an aesthetic element highlights the campaign’s vulnerabilities.

Where Did Prada’s Narrative Identity Begin, and Where Is It Headed?

To understand Prada’s identity, it’s important to revisit key moments in the brand’s history. In the 1990s, Prada emerged as a pioneer of minimalism, breaking new ground in the fashion world not just through aesthetic choices but also philosophical approaches. Its advertising campaigns often aimed to evoke a feeling, a sensibility, or a reflection of the era’s spirit rather than simply promote a product. For instance, Glen Luchford’s 1997 campaign, set in a train station, sought to uncover beauty within the ordinary through a melancholic narrative. By contrast, The Dinner Guests appears devoid of such emotional depth. While the robots and humanoid figures around the table seem to initiate a story, the narrative remains underdeveloped.

The Sociology of the Dinner Table and Its Missing Connection

Historically, the dinner table has been more than just a space for sustenance; it has been a site for forging and strengthening social bonds. Roland Barthes regarded food and the table as forms of communication—microcosms of cultural identities, social hierarchies, and even emotional connections. Yet in this campaign, the dinner table remains stripped of this rich context, reduced to a decorative element. The presence of robots and technological figures might symbolize the mechanization of human relationships in the modern world. However, this symbolism remains unexplored. The campaign fails to explain why the robots are there, how they relate to the humans, or what commentary is being made about the impact of technology on human nature.

Futurism and Classicism: Harmony or Conflict?

Prada’s dinner table clearly attempts to bridge the past and the future. The refined porcelain and classical aesthetics reflect the brand’s deep-rooted Italian heritage. Yet this classicism clashes with the cold futurism of the technological elements. When executed thoughtfully, such a juxtaposition can be compelling. Stanley Kubrick’s 2001: A Space Odyssey, for example, masterfully weaves futuristic visuals with reflections on humanity’s past and future. However, here, the lack of contextual depth diminishes the potential impact. The futuristic robots seem to exist purely as visual novelties, with no discernible connection to the past or to humanity.

Cross-Cultural Representation: Diversity or Superficiality?

The campaign’s inclusion of figures from diverse cultural backgrounds suggests a surface-level attempt at global representation. However, for such diversity to resonate, it must transcend visual elements and be embedded in a meaningful narrative. In past campaigns, Prada often employed cinematic references to suggest personal stories behind the characters depicted. In The Dinner Guests, however, the individuals around the table serve merely as decorative props, wasting the potential for narrative richness. Diversity, in this case, is not just a matter of visual representation; it requires a contextual framework that imbues it with substance.

Willy Vanderperre’s Visual Excellence: Is It Enough?

Willy Vanderperre’s photography is undeniably striking. The color palette, lighting, and compositional details successfully convey Prada’s luxurious ethos. However, this visual prowess cannot compensate for the absence of the narrative depth that has historically characterized the brand. Steven Meisel’s campaigns for Prada, for instance, offered more than just aesthetic appeal—they explored human nature, societal norms, and the contradictions of modernity through storytelling. In The Dinner Guests, the visuals seem to mask a lack of narrative rather than serve one, leaving the campaign feeling incomplete.

Where To Next?

The Dinner Guests could be seen as a step in the right direction, but it falls short of its potential. In an era where the fashion industry increasingly leans toward superficiality and visual spectacle, a brand like Prada has the capacity to captivate audiences through more meaningful storytelling. This campaign could have expressed the tension between the coldness of the future and the warmth of classical heritage through a more compelling narrative. Perhaps it serves as a foundation for Prada to explore deeper and richer stories in its next endeavor.

What do you think about this campaign? Share your thoughts—I’d love to hear them.

With love.