Prada Goes Epic, Releases 5-Part SS21 Video Fashion Series

As the world of fashion migrates to a digital format, Prada chose to release not one, but five cinematic interpretations of its spring 20-21 collection. Terence Nance, Joanna Piotrowska, Martine Syms, Juergen Teller and Willy Vanderperre each took on a chapter in the multi-installment video series, which "inherently and fundamentally echo the traditional fashion show, where each observer has their own physical and ideological vantage-point on the collection, their own opinions, their own observations."

Prada's editing style echoes what has been seen by other fashion houses this season: an artful if somewhat distracting tangent from the actual clothes, such as the men's collections shows at Paris Fashion Week.

One can't deny the power of the silhouette, though. Men's garments are classic in their Italian, narrow fits – a reflection of traditional suiting with modern fabrication and weaving technology. Leather, cotton and taffeta make appearances as well, concluding with lingerie, described by the brand as "a foundational layer, a vulnerability, a fragility and a humanity."

In today's fashion landscape, clothing only tells part of the story, as seen through the lens of those bringing the collections to life. "I'm inspired by the way screens have come to make and unmake us," said video artist and Chapter 4 director Martine Syms, "and what it means to be living, breathing, moving fleshy things in a world full of them."

Willy Vanderperre on creating Chapter 1 of #PradaMultipleViews, the show that never happened:

"Prada evolves and changes every season, this season, the part we were shooting and filming felt like an honest collection. Stripped from fashion ideas, which turns that idea into fashion again. It also felt introspective and slightly schizophrenic. A look into the past with the future ahead. I hope that the audience feels that in the movie, a distilled pure and honest presentation of the collection."

Juergen Teller on creating Chapter 2 of #PradaMultipleViews, the show that never happened:

"'It was an honor to be asked to photograph and film Miuccia's last collection. I thought the men and women looked beautiful, elegant and modern. I enjoyed looking at Miuccia's vision and trying to make sense of it as honestly and directly as possible."

Joanna Piotrowska on creating Chapter 3 of #PradaMultipleViews, the show that never happened:

"Gesture and physicality are an essential non-verbal form of communication and play a big role in the conceptual and compositional aspects of my work. The finger snap is a quick and subtle, yet attention-demanding action. It is also used to indicate approval or to maintain rhythm. I thought that this short could be an interesting space to work with the snap as a recurring motif that marks the movements and refocuses the viewer's attention to each new look."

Martine Syms on creating Chapter 4 of #PradaMultipleViews, the show that never happened:

"The video is a collage of multiple formats and features iterative, repetitive movements intercut with beautiful people staring at images of themselves on monitors and screens in Milan and in my studio in Los Angeles. Since the collection pieces have a '60s feeling to them, I tried to include several references to cinema culture and surveillance/sousveillance from that time period and the present. I'm inspired by the way screens have come to make and unmake us–and what it means to be living, breathing, moving, fleshy things in a world full of them."

Terence Nance on creating Chapter 5 of #PradaMultipleViews, the show that never happened:

"The film that came through was born of speed and play; I have no words through which to decode what the meaning is and was and will be, but it may be about time–and keeping your organs in that vessel we call a body while it contorts itself to love each second as it goes bye-bye."