Young at Heart

Before each designer and her mother decided to introduce a “younger, hipper” spin-off line, there was Miu Miu. When the academic-turned-fashion designer Miuccia Prada launched her collection in 1992, it was the subject of some head-scratching. How could the Milan-based fashionista top the winning formula of Prada, her Italian megabrand which has launched countless trends and even more look-alike designs?

Easy. She did it by creating a collection that is equal parts serious fashion and serious fun: from sixties-style swing coats to colorful frocks to artful accessories. Perhaps that’s why it’s a favorite among the cool girls in Hollywood like Maggie Gyllenhaal, Selma Blair and Kirsten Dunst, who’ve all starred in Miu Miu’s advertising campaigns. Now that’s what we call a celebrity endorsement.