Prada Journal launching second creative writing competition

With her PhD in political science, Miuccia Prada has always been seen as one of fashion’s clever-clogs. For the second year running, her brand has teamed up with famed Italian publishing house Giangiacomo Feltrinelli Editore for a short story competition.

Last year there were over 1,300 entries that arrived in English, Italian, French, Chinese, Japanese and Turkish. The five winners were unveiled in September, with their work later appearing in an e-book published by the brand.

The brief this time around is typically enigmatic: “What are the signs of a changing world? And what situations can we envision? Taking a good look at the details might give us the answer.” 

Any budding writer can upload their story (of a minimum of 10 pages and a maximum of 20 pages on A4-sized sheets) via the Prada Journal site until June 11. The winner (or winners) will receive a cash prize of €5,000 for their efforts. 

It’s part of a wider trend within the luxury industry to sprinkle a little cultural pixie-dust on their lifestyle offerings. Prada is well known for its art projects, which have included a recent pop-up installation with Damien Hirst in the Qatari desert and the Fondazione Prada (whose headquarters is set to open next spring in a space designed by Rem Koolhaas).  

Fellow Italian designer Giorgio Armani has recently taken a page out of Miuccia Prada’s book and launched another cultural project mixing luxury eyewear and young cinematic talent, the Films of City Frames series. 

http://www.prada.com/en/prada-journal