Documenting Miuccia Prada’s off-duty chic
Starting @whatmiuccia, an account chronicling Miuccia Prada’s best looks, in 2018, Guillaume Lavoie could never have guessed where it would take him. Now, with each post racking up thousands of likes and the account catching the eye of the powers that be at Prada, who invited him to take over the fashion house’s Instagram for their AW20 men’s show at MFW, @whatmiuccia is becoming serious business.
To celebrate the account’s ascent, HUNGER sat down with Lavoie to learn more about Miuccia Prada’s timeless style and to hear about the experience of meeting his hero at Milan Fashion Week Men’s.
What led to you creating @whatmiuccia?
I’ve always been fascinated by Miuccia Prada’s work and consider her own style to be unique and original as well. It’s clear when you look at any picture of her that she has this very personal definition of style that’s somehow classic yet eccentric, sophisticated yet spontaneous and is always surprising.
I was a late adopter of Instagram (I got my first cell phone in 2015!), so when I discovered IG accounts celebrating style icons such as @everyoutfitonsatc, I found it inspiring. I searched for one on Miuccia Prada and realised there were none dedicated to her. I was surprised, considering the impact she has on fashion and culture so I just decided to do it myself. I felt like I would be able to document her style while talking about fashion in my own way.
What can people learn from Miuccia’s style?
I would prefer to leave that open but what I have learned is the pleasure of dressing for oneself and that your paradoxes and complexities can be worked into your style.
Do you have a favourite Miuccia look? If so, what is it?
It’s a really boring answer but I really don’t! What I love about her style is that it seems lived daily; it’s not about galas or red carpets only but looks like it’s part of a wider, cultured existence.
What are the @whatmiuccia posts that you are most proud of?
I don’t think pride applies to what I do at @whatmiuccia. I source pictures taken by others of a person that is not me so it’s not like I’m proud to have done this or that caption. There is only one picture I took of Miuccia Prada, just before the FW2020 men’s show. I’m proud of that post because it turned out great (to even take pictures of friends can be nerve-wrecking for me so imagine Mrs Prada!) and it also symbolises where this account I started just for fun led me.
For Prada’s recent men’s show at MFW, you took over the fashion house’s official Instagram. What were the highlights of this experience for you?
Everything was a highlight! I got to work with great people, stroll through Milan for the first time, check Prada’s fantastic archives and choose an outfit out of those. I got backstage to look at the clothes, watched the show and met Mrs Prada. It’s an Instagram fairytale, two terms I was dubious could be paired together, to be honest!
Where do you hope to go next with @whatmiuccia?
I tend to do it and not overthink it; letting it grow organically. But since you ask, I’d be thrilled to interview Mrs Prada for the account. After all, it’s about her image and I’m sure she would have interesting views on a lot of subjects, like Instagram culture, for example…
Follow What Miuccia Wore on Instagram
