Prada goes bold with vertigo-inducing and whimsical summer styles

Prada’s summer is bold in color and cut

MILAN — Prada goes bold for her spring/summer 2011 women’s collection.

There’s nothing understated in the colors, orange, green and royal blue; the stripes, decisively bold; and the patterns, from bananas to cherubs to monkeys. But there are also frills for a more feminine touch.

Miuccia Prada’s skirts are tight-fitting and to the knee, but matched with looser jackets or tops, some echoing the men’s collection presented in the summer with V-necks that evoke doctor shirts. The outfits are paired with wedged sneakers high enough to give basketball court advantage.

The look becomes decidedly more girlie when a thick frill is added to the bottom of the tight skirts, providing a swirl of soft motion. The motion doesn’t stop there: horizontal striped dresses are paired with vertigo-inducing striped sombreros slung over the neck for maximum contrast.

Dresses are fitted, with bold patterns and lots of stripes, often alternating in both color and thickness, with a stripe of fuchsia to grab the eye. And then there are the patterns: paired monkeys on a white background give a whimsical touch.

In fact, while the cut of the clothes is urban, urban, urban, the message is Caribbean, fun and loose, an attitude backed up by the fabric: cotton. In keeping with the mood, bright tropical fruits of marzipan were available for viewers after the show.

Even the sun dresses have a structured look about them. Thin straps and deep V-backs leave plenty of room for peek-a-boo, while tassels on the hemline beckon.

The little black dress makes an appearance for evening, with feminine ruffles around the gentle necklines. Lest anyone think, ah, black dress, seen that, Prada adds fun furry wraps in black and white stripes on a colorful background.