Miu Miu’s mechanics and movie stars

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Jul 2, 2017

One of the great, unconsummated love affairs in Italian life is between the mechanic and the movie star. Until, that is, Sunday night’s Formula One style frolic in the Miu Miu collection, staged – aptly – in the Automobile Club de France.
 

An entire cast wearing Grand Prix insignia clothing – most especially the mechanic’s jumpsuits, in gingham, khaki or check. Or, if you’re Kendall Jenner, you take them off and wrap them around your waist like a sarong; held up by a thick belt and topped with a studded western bar gal’s shirt. Tie up your hair into a curly chignon, paint your lips bright red and off you go to cause trouble.
 
On the soundtrack, the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Natassja Kinski, Kim Bassinger and Doris Day all crooning suggestively. Man eating women everywhere – from the quarter of four vixens in stretch jogging outfits to Lara Stone in a barely there pink gingham micro shirt dress to Joan Small’s in vampy culottes showing what looked like four meters of leg.

In an era, where so much fashion is created to empower women when working, it was instructive to see a collection created to empower them when it comes to seducing.
 
Ironically, at the very moment when cars are no longer politically correct, in fact practically banned, in most European cities, man’s eternal romance with cars is suddenly back in vogue. The location was telling. This club is a temple to motorcars – it even has what the French insist is the oldest auto in the world in its lobby, an 1895 open topped Panhard. Even if Miu Miu redesigned the entrance with jacquard walls and black and white photos of movie stars attending great classic auto races in the Fifties. Post show, guests dined on luscious langoustines and vitello tonnato, drinking Tom Collins on the beautiful terrace overlooking Place de la Concorde.
 
Perhaps not Signora Prada’s greatest Miu Miu collection, but one that marked our age, and reminded us that no one will ever love the auto more than the Italians. To quote a wise saying among Ferrari workers: “Donna e Motore; Goia e Dolore.
 
Meaning Women and Motors; Joys and Pain.