Manuela Pavesi
An homage to her incredible personal style
Manuela Pavesi was a visionary in the fashion world—an incredibly talented stylist, photographer, and longtime collaborator of Miuccia Prada. She had a unique eye for blending vintage elegance with avant-garde touches, making her one of the most distinctive style icons of her time. As Sig.ra Prada’s right hand and closest friend, she played a key role in shaping the brand’s aesthetic, but her influence extended far beyond—through her personal style, editorial work, and mentorship of young creatives (J.W. Anderson, for example).
I’ve been following the wonderful Instagram account @manuelapavesi.archive for more than two years now. While I always admired Manuela’s personal style and vision of fashion, it wasn’t until I discovered this page that I realized how many specific style idiosyncrasies we actually have in common.
She had a true love for mixing different textures in one outfit (same here!), she was a layering pro (I’m getting there), and she knew exactly how to add a little bling to brighten up a look (I can’t start my day without at least one pair of sparkling earrings). She often wore capes and waistcoats (I could write a whole post about my love for them!), and she accessorized her looks with long gloves and socks (I stock up on them every winter!). And last but not least… it seems like she adored Prada’s FW 2007 collection just as much as I do!
I also left her stylistic signature not just at Prada but in magazines like Vogue Nippon, Grey and beyond. These are some of my favorite images from her editorial work—I share her passion for uniforms, veils, and that whole mysterious aesthetic, but always with a playful touch in mind.
And for years, I’ve loved that photo Scott took of her back in 2012.
This winter, when I found a pair of those old Prada red-soled boots on resale, I realized I could almost recreate the exact same look.
So, with great respect, I wanted to pay homage to her and show how she has inspired my personal style and the playful way I like to dress.
It feels like our idea came to life just as we hoped, and I’m happy I could honor a woman whose style and vision have shaped so many of us.
Scott:
Manuela Pavesi was tiny (as is Miuccia and Armani) but I was always so intimidated by her! Her style and her artistic accomplishments so impressed me that I’d freeze-up whenever I’d see her (which doesn’t make taking photos very easy). She was always very nice to me the few times we met and I’m happy I was able to take, at least, one really great photo of her.
I loved that she both styled and photographed a lot of her shoots which gave me the strength to push for the same when I started shooting more editorial and advertising work. Now its quite common for brands to just give me the clothes and let me cast, style and photograph the whole project and I always think Manuela would be a little proud that she inspired that kind of creativity.
Hello, thank you for this post. But there is so much text. I don't want to sound rude but if I want to read a lot of text I go to the FT or other newspapers. This is a fashion blog, no? Why aren't you showing pictures of this stylish lady in all her glory? Were there copyright issues with the images?
It's a bit like in the movies: 'show me, don't tell me'