“Yeah, but see, there’s a difference between like and love. Because I like my sketchers but I love my Prada backpack.” – Bianca Stratford (10 Things I Hate About You)

With a PhD in political science and no formal fashion training whatsoever, Miuccia Prada took over her grandfather’s leather goods business in 1978. For someone that was a proud member of the Italian Communist Party, she certainly made for the most unlikely candidate to head a luxury goods label. Her distaste for bourgeoisie big label tastes lead her to design the most surprising it-bag: the backpack. It was the first of its kind, a luxury item without pretension.

This simple black nylon sack made its debut in 1984, although it didn’t get noticed until it hit the runway four years, coupled with her first women’s wear collection. Despising big flashy logos, Prada opted for a tiny triangle label that her grandfather affixed on the company’s trunks. It was cool, charmingly anti-fashion, with a retail tag of (only!) $450. She gifted them to key editors for Christmas and, as they say, the rest is history.

Thirty years later, and I still want one.

Image courtesy of thethreef.com.