Miu Miu SS09 Prints & Miuccia Prada on CNN

All runway images in this post are from Style.com - click to see the entire Miu Miu SS09 collection.

Recently Miu Miu shows have almost become as much of a highlight of fashion seasons as Prada shows themselves, as Miuccia Prada continues to explore new themes and push boundaries each season with her secondary line (although Miu Miu is a fully fleged brand in its own right, which would stand well even if the main Prada brand wasn't part of the equation). For spring/summer 2009, Miuccia Prada showed a collection that characteristically was elegant and beautiful, in her usual way, but at the same time slightly cryptic.

What left the greatest impression on us were the numerous different prints on silk, seemingly based on Ancient Greek or Roman mosaic and pottery. As is often the way with Prada's designs, we just feel they work really well but we can't quite place a finger on why. Certainly if you were to describe to us a dress printed with the image of a Greek god in mosaic we probably wouldn't be too excited, but looking at this collection it just really works somehow, partly perhaps because of the interesting irony in taking design motifs from an ancient civilisation and presenting them on the runway in Paris as the latest new, must-have fashion for 2009.

Some pieces available from Net-a-Porter:

As you would expect, the idea is all beautifully executed in terms of quality and design. What do you think? The scope for criticism that we can see is that it could be seen to be a bit obvious or gimmicky, but we think Miuccia makes it work. We also really liked the pieces from the collection which were smartly cut and pleated, despite being made from sacking material or deliberately damaged, almost moth-eaten, fabric. Not the easiest of looks to pull off, but again elegant in a slightly quirky way.

All runway images in this post are from Style.com - click to see the entire Miu Miu SS09 collection.

Miuccia Prada recently did a rare TV interview with CNN for their Talk Asia show. We disliked the interviewer who was patronising and slightly vacuous (she had the cheek to say "Many of your pieces tread this fine line between frumpy and trendy," despite the ill-conceived black outfit with bright pink mid-height heels she was wearing herself), but it is so worth watching for an insight into Miuccia and the world of Prada. Just don't expect any great revelations (as we've found with the string of recent fashion TV programmes you have to bear in mind that they're made for a very general, large audience).. we do love Miuccia's accent though, we could sit listening to her speak all day long..

(We've embedded here, but if you click over to the CNN website - HERE - you can view it in a larger player/full screen)