Prada’s Spring/Summer 2021 collection was one of the season’s most-anticipated. It marked the creative union of Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons, two of fashion’s luminaries. As it were, we would go into every Prada presentation anticipating the season’s next ‘It’ bag, shoes, and accessories. And even more so with Simons in the picture.

As we sat hawk-eyed in front of our laptop screens on the lookout for what was due to be the season’s coveted object of desire, a nondescript, sleek white shoulder bag on the arms of the models called to our attention. But we didn’t know her then. We do now. Meet the Cleo – amongst the first of classics birth from Prada and Simons’ fundamental examination of what is Prada.

While its silhouette revives that of the revered Prada nylon bags from the early aughts, the Cleo takes a distinctively modern approach to the classic shape. Cut with a curved base that gently cuts into sloping sides, the Cleo’s sleek lines are designed to hug a woman’s body when worn over the shoulder. We put the theory to test and they weren’t lying – it was a warm embrace. And a fine display of Prada’s impeccable craftsmanship.

Sleek yet soft; a nod to the past yet steps ahead into the future; inconspicuous yet distinguishable; the juxtaposition of the Cleo stay true to Prada’s signature duality. Just as it makes for a roomy day bag, the Cleo makes the perfect polished companion for an evening soiree. Dress it up or dress it down, like the true marker of a classic carryall, the Cleo fits right in either way.

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