Happy International Women's Day to Miuccia Prada, one of the most singularly important female designers of her generation. Since her viral Miu Miu runway show in September 2021, Miuccia has been on a renewed winning streak for the past three seasons, and in the Palais d’Iéna for Fall Winter 23, she once again proves why.

Miuccia Prada's ability to keep her finger so precisely on the pulse is not a new phenomenon, it's hardly even a new conversation, and no amount of tribute shows, robot guest appearances, or anticipated comebacks would detract from the final show on the PFW schedule being one of the most talked about.

The question that resonated first, as the foremost look came swaying into the show space, was: "where has she been?" Mia Goth made her way down a stark white platform, hair astray, demure little cardigan tucked into the top of her stockings. Prada has always had a knack for mixing the serious with the unserious, and after a season filled with sombre looks and a return to uniformity, playing with new ways to discover sexiness in traditionally "unsexy" shapes was just the stroke of genius we'd been holding out for.

Set to a scattered jazz soundtrack, models stomped out in translucent halter dresses, tights pulled right up, knickers on display, layers and layers of barely there items or none at all when it was just ensembles of exposed underpants and oversized jackets. She was frazzled, alright. Clutching bags that had exposed keychains with frumpy glasses perched atop unruly hairstyles, but Prada also played with notions of elegance in the conservative palette (though there were some classic Miu Miu colour tells in the neon orange tights and lime green cardigans) and tidy tailoring.

One of the reasons Prada creates collections that feel so repeatedly refreshing, is that she finds a way to interpret the wearable without straying too far away from fun. Even in her interpretation of "activewear", it feels like the last thing one would wear to the gym, but the first thing you might want to. Leggings and skivvy's are layered with classic zip up hoodies and tailored jackets, while elsewhere, corduroy bomber jackets feel as though they are given the Carhartt treatment, playing on Prada's current obsession with workwear and uniforms.

The entire collection reads like a wardrobe for the serious woman who, really, isn't that serious at all considering she's forgotten her pants. She's still able to dance on tables at night, go for a brisk walk in the morning, perhaps have a romp in the library during lunch, and do it all again the next day. Dare I ask – is she the frazzled English woman personified?

Watch the full Miu Miu Fall Winter 23 show, below.