Started by brothers Mario and Martino Prada in 1913, Prada is another Italian leather goods success story. Being a bit of a chauvinist, but keeping with the times Mario did not believe women should have a role in business. His bad behavior was soon to come back and bite him, as his son had no interest in the business, leaving only his daughter Luisa to take over as his successor. How is that for irony!
By 1978 sales were only 450,000 when Mario's granddaughter Miuccia Prada launched a tough military spec black nylon backpacks that used the same material her grandfather had used for covering his steamer trunks. It was this back pack, that inspired her definitive black nylon tote, spawning a whole new dimension in her fashion empire The high price tag that accompanied the handbags caused an onslaught of cheap knock-offs and fakes, which only created more demand for genuine Prada.