Discover our fashion week inspired collab with the Culture & Fashion commentators.
We sat down with Diet Prada, Instagram's fashion critics, to discuss their origins and recent decor initiatives. After building a media empire of over 2.5 million followers, the social media stars are lighting it up, one neon sign at a time.
"Before the pandemic, travel was an integral part of our lives and we were lucky enough to see the most beautiful fashion shows from New York to Paris," they say. "Given the current climate, we've all been spending more time at home and wanted to create something to bring that spirit inside."
This spirit, which they describe as "the thrill of fashion week" and "the banter between style-obsessed besties," is seen in their new yellowpop collection. It's filled with international dating, feminism and, of course, an undying love for Prada.
Journey around the world: The neon photoshoot
Because clothing is a global industry, it made sense to photograph these fashion-inspired neon signs in the cities that created them. Travel being what it is, we had to get a little creative. We sent the new LED neon lights to five photographers around the world. Consider it an electric postcard from Diet Prada and us.
Our friend and fellow neon designer, Louis Dazy, took two of the Diet Prada neon signs with him on the streets of Paris. A nod to phrases uttered backstage and in the front rows of the show, J'adore and Très Chic were perfectly at home in the City of Light. Naturally, another elegant interjection, Belissima, made its way to Milan. It was photographed by Ivan Ruberto and Paolo Zerbini, the creators of the fashion satire Zine Bellissimo.
Very Chic - Neon LED Sign
Prada or Nada - Neon LED sign
For Girl Power, British photographer Henry Gorse went to the tourist sites of London, with a neon sign. Model, bodybuilder Zoe Dann, embodies physical strength, which fits well with feminist neon. Tokyo-based fashion photographer Momo Angela toured her hometown with Spiritual Hand. And Black Soap, a New York-based photographer, took the most anticipated neon of the collection, Prada or Nada, to the fashion capital of America.
Sure, the parents all love their babies, but Prada or Nada is Diet Prada's favorite. "If it wasn't already obvious," they say.
Diet Prada: the duo
"Diet Prada was born out of boredom in the office when we worked together in 2014," explain Tony Liu and Lindsey Schuyler, the once-unnamed pair. "After reviewing countless runway shows, we noticed imitations that no one had called out. We started making collages, put them on Instagram, and the rest is history."
Their rapid rise on Instagram has allowed supermodels like Naomi Campbell and the Hadid sisters to get on board. On the designer side, Marc Jacobs and Gucci have also gone fragrant.
"We were in Milan in 2017 to do a takeover on Gucci's Instagram account," they recall. "And as we were getting closer to the airport to head back to New York, we got a message from the Prada team inviting us to the fashion show." According to Diet Prada receiving star treatment from their namesake has been their favorite moment so far. "It was a whirlwind," they say, "but something we never imagined."
The post-trend: The future of fashion and activism
While their news feed is still littered with fashion memes and knockoffs, Diet Prada has become a platform for more. They use it to expose injustices like sexual abuse, misogyny, and racism in the fashion industry that is slow to change. "We want to continue to highlight fundamental issues in the fashion industry and beyond," they say.
When they're not busy taking down titans, Diet Prada is focused on bringing their style brand to the world. "We seem to be in a post-trend era and we love that fashion seems to be more and more about self-expression," they say. "We see that spreading to everyone who is really personalizing their living space, especially now that we spend so much time at home."
Spiritual Hand - Neon LED sign
The yellowpop x Diet Prada collab marks their first foray into art and decor. The limited edition collection is a bright way to bring the energy of fashion week home, wherever you are. "More.... neon makes every space sexier," they say.