Miuccia Prada rarely makes specific references in her collections. That would be bourgeois. Rather, she conjures fictive narratives that either invite methodical contemplation or not at all. So, for her spring collection, we’re left to wonder whether the lilac-colored sand dunes in the center of the runway pertain to a certain conflict in the Middle East or a tropical beach somewhere, or neither. What about the bounty of beautiful brocades, patched and pieced together, some with gold and silver thread and others with strange symbols drawn or painted on them? Are we to read into those wheat-like symbols and imagine hardy Bolshevik peasantry or laugh along as Miuccia pokes fun at the gluten-free fad, going against the grain yet again?

Not to be left out, those who appreciate collections purely in aesthetic terms — sans concept — will look at these pieces and find irresistibly off colors paired with rich black, sporty full leather skirts, stylishly unfinished hems, eye-catching diagonal seams and insets, slimming contrast topstitching, and cute strappy clogs over cute kneesocks. The generational mixing and matching of schoolgirl, college coed, and well-to-do grandma is a recurring, and always pleasing, theme for Prada. But, we’re convinced, there is meaning to be had. Perhaps it is simply in her perennial search for beauty in unconventional places.