Prada

The originator of the Prada company was a man by the name of Mario Prada. Mr. Prada originally started selling leather handbags, trunks and shoes in 1913 in Europe, but quickly moved to the USA and also opened two boutiques in Milan once he realized how big of a success he was becoming. The classic Prada suitcase had a very exotic and distinct look, it was made out of very heavy walrus skin. As the common way of travel became planes, very heavy and bulk luggage became very un-functional, and a big hassle even though they were very fashionable. Prada started making much more light-weight suitcases. In 1950, Mario had a daughter named Miuccia, she helped with innovate ideas for the Prada line, she inspired the Pocone bags, backpacks that were made out of a waterproof fabric. In 1979 Miuccia took over the company, and completely ran the entire business. Sales were currently way down when she took over the company, and many believe Prada wouldn't still be in production if she didn`t take over.In order to take Prada back to the top in the designer fashion industry, she expanded the company into manufacturing luxurious backpacks and tote bags made out of black nylon, an example of this classic black nylon bag can be seen above. The black handbags introduced in the early 1980's were a huge hit, and with Hollywood stars using them, many women wanted to perceive the look and style of a Hollywood icon, and this brought Prada back to the top of its game.