Prada's founder barred the women of his family from the business in 1913
Prada (@prada) was founded in Milan in 1913 by Mario Prada, who kept the women of his family out of the company. Miuccia Prada has put it simply: her grandfather said women should stay at home. His daughter Luisa ran the firm anyway, from the late 1950s until 1978. Miuccia joined in 1970 with a doctorate in political science from the University of Milan, and took over eight years later.
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01THE FOUNDER OF PRADA DID NOT ALLOW THE WOMEN IN HIS FAMILY TO WORK IN THE SHOP. HIS GRANDDAUGHTER IS MIUCCIA PRADA.
02MARIO PRADA OPENED A LEATHER GOODS SHOP IN MILAN IN 1913. HE BELIEVED BUSINESS WAS NO PLACE FOR WOMEN.
03HIS SON DID NOT WANT THE SHOP. SO IT PASSED TO HIS DAUGHTER, LUISA, WHO RAN IT FOR ABOUT TWENTY YEARS.
04IN 1978 LUISA HANDED IT TO HER OWN DAUGHTER, MIUCCIA, WHOSE TRAINING WAS IN SOMETHING ELSE ENTIRELY.
05MIUCCIA PRADA HOLDS A DOCTORATE IN POLITICAL SCIENCE. SHE ALSO SPENT FIVE YEARS TRAINING AS A MIME AT A MILAN THEATRE.
06SHE HAD BEEN A CARD CARRYING MEMBER OF THE ITALIAN COMMUNIST PARTY. THEN SHE TOOK OVER A LUXURY LUGGAGE FIRM.
07HER GRANDFATHER SOLD TRUNKS AND HANDBAGS TO WEALTHY MILAN. SHE TURNED HIS SHOP INTO A FASHION HOUSE KNOWN AROUND THE WORLD.