MILAN — Prada has announced the 2026 edition of its Prada Frames symposium, titled 'In Sight,' will dissect the cultural weight of image-making. The event, scheduled for April, will examine the infrastructure and labor behind our visual culture. This focus on representation—the preference for image over fact—resonates deeply within lingerie history, where imagery has long constructed identity and desire.
Consider the foundational branding of Maidenform in the 1940s with its iconic 'I Dreamed...' campaigns, which used aspirational imagery to sell not just girdles but a fantasy of self. Decades later, the provocative visuals of Agent Provocateur or the un-retouched photography of Negative Underwear continue this dialogue, each using image-making to define an era's aesthetic and values. Prada's own entry into intimate apparel, while a modern chapter, engages with this legacy of crafted perception.
The symposium will be held within the historic Santa Maria delle Grazie complex, a deliberate setting that contrasts Renaissance artistry with contemporary digital discourse. As Prada and organizers Formafantasma convene experts to question how images shape reality, we are reminded that lingerie has always existed at this intersection: a private garment perpetually redefined by its public image.
Originally reported by WWD