When Miuccia Prada and her husband Patrizio Bertelli took over the family-run leather goods and accessories business in 1978, the company was near bankruptcy. Armed with only a PhD in political science, Miuccia succeeded in building Prada into one of the most coveted brand names of the late 90s. Beginning with Prada's first ready-to-wear collection in 1989, she established a techno minimalism based on pared-down design, innovative fabrics, and computer-enhanced patterns that have become influentially iconic.

"The collection has a girly edge, but in the end it is nasty."