I Recreated a Prada Runway Look Using My Own Closet

The Fall 2026 show proposes a new way to think about getting dressed. I put it to the test.

Julia Gall Prada Layering Tricks
(Image credit: )

When locking into the Prada Fall-Winter '26 livestream, I prepared myself for another season of clothing and styling I would likely appreciate more than crave. Don’t get me wrong: I’m still very much a fashion fan and always interested in what Prada is doing. But I’ve always been especially attached to the kind of Prada that came so distinctly from Miuccia’s mind. I love collecting secondhand Prada pieces from very specific seasons, and the thrill of that hunt is always so satisfying.

After seeing the models do several “exits” (or, for the layman, “turns”) on the runway, it definitely required a deep dive into the collection images to understand what I was actually looking at. As it turned out, only 15 models walked the show, but there were 60 unique looks. Each model shed a layer, demonstrating how to wear a handful of garments several ways. This is fashion making sense.

And as a New Englander, this couldn’t appeal to me more. In the transitional seasons, when our winters come a little too early and stay a little too long, I often end up slightly tweaking my looks over the course of a single day. Seeing this approach on the runway felt great as someone who always tries to shop her closet and get creative with styling before buying something totally new. It also makes total sense to produce less and demonstrate how wardrobe-forward this collection is. My gal Miuccia delivers a big serve once again.

Julia Gall styles a shirt-dress over long sleeves for the New England spring

(Image credit: Julia Gall)

I stole one “look” from the show and built out my own version with things I wear on the regular. Look 8 has model Noor Khan clutching a long coat closed with hints of other layers underneath. I skimmed the show for Noor’s additional exits and recreated it in my closet, which proved to be highly functional for a highly unpredictable spring day in my coastal town.

8:00am The Full Look

Julia Gall styles a full Prada-inspired look for the New England spring

(Image credit: Julia Gall)

I recreated Look 8, which has a long coat, a parka layer underneath, a printed skirt, and the cuffs of a shirtdress peeking out. Instead of the faux-fur touch, I threw on a pop-of-color knit scarf, referencing the ones peppered throughout other looks in the show to tie it all together. At 8 a.m., it was in the high 30s, and while I’m usually layering my windbreaker over a wool coat, since it wasn’t really raining yet, it worked for me to layer it in reverse. I liked having the contrasting texture of the nylon peeking out from the wool coat, but I’m not gonna lie, my legs were definitely a little cold.

11:00am One Layer Less

Julia Gall cools down her Prada-inspired layered look in a parka

(Image credit: Julia Gall)

The weather warmed up a bit, so I could ditch the coat and lean fully into Look 23, which was just a parka and skirt. It did indeed start to rain, so my go-to Weekend Max Mara waterproof layer played its role perfectly without skipping a beat. I loved it with the printed skirt peeking through, and I will definitely reference this combo on rainy days in late spring and early summer.

1:00pm

Julia Gall completes the layered look with a sweater vest and printed mini skirt

(Image credit: Julia Gall)

It stopped raining, and the sun attempted to come out a bit, which warmed things up even more. Look 38 shows just the sweater, the shirtdress with cuffs flipped up, and the printed skirt. This was a job for one of my wardrobe workhorses: a Sacai shirtdress with sweater sleeves, plus an Alex Mill sweater vest to create a complete knit top layer. My trompe l’oeil “crochet” printed wrap skirt, which is actually just a cotton eyelet and also happened to be Sacai, worked as my “printed skirt” layer. Any floral skirt could have worked here.

3:00pm

Julia Gall de-layers in a long-sleeved cuffed shirt dress and calf socks

(Image credit: Julia Gall)

In the spirit of investigative journalism, I looked to Look 53 and ditched both the sweater vest and skirt to reveal the shirtdress solely for a late-afternoon walk with my pup before it got cold again. The sun disappeared, and a foggy marine layer appeared from the sudden warmth in the air. A shirtdress, once again, proved to serve me well.

This Prada experiment was a success and worked beautifully in my New England climate, where dressing in layers is a necessity.

Julia Gall
Creative Consultant, Stylist, and Writer

Julia Gall is a creative consultant, stylist, and writer. She is the former Style Director at Marie Claire where she covered all things fashion, as well as styling tips, wardrobe upkeep and sustainability.