Mario Prada Mario Prada Mario Prada (born in Milan; died in 1958) was the founder and original designer of the fashion label Prada, a company specializing in many high fashion goods for men and women, including shoes, handbags, luggage, and leather goods. Prada was founded in 1913. Prada was founded in 1913 by Mario Prada and his brother Martino as Fratelli Prada (English: "Prada Brothers"). The company was originally headquartered in Milan, Italy. The shop sold leather goods and imported English steamer trunks and handbags. Mario Prada did not believe that women should have a role in business, so he prevented female
Italian fashion lost its importance and lustre and Europe's main trendsetter became France, with the great popularity of French fashion; this is due to the luxury dresses which were designed for the courtiers of Louis XIV. However, since the 1951–53 fashion soirées held by Giovanni Battista Giorgini in Florence, the ""Italian school"" started to compete with the French "haute couture", and labels such as Ferragamo and Gucci began to contend with Chanel and Dior. In 2009, according to the Global Language Monitor, Milan, Italy's centre of design, was ranked the top fashion capital of the world, and Rome was ranked 4th, and,