Prada's structural transitions: Raf Simons as co-creative director (April 2020), Andrea Guerra as CEO (January 2023)
Prada S.p.A. (HKEX: 1913) executed two structural transitions early this decade that reshaped how an Italian family-controlled luxury house can be run. On February 23, 2020, Prada announced that Raf Simons would join Miuccia Prada as co-creative director with equal creative responsibility for the Prada brand — effective April 2, 2020. The first Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons collection was the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020. The structure deliberately challenged the singular-auteur model of luxury creative direction. Three years later, on January 26, 2023, Prada's board recommended Andrea Guerra as new Group CEO, ending the co-CEO arrangement between Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada. Patrizio Bertelli became Chairman; Miuccia Prada remained Creative Director of Miu Miu and of Prada (with Raf Simons) and a Board Member. The CEO transition was framed by Prada as part of a planned succession to ease the eventual leadership transfer to Lorenzo Bertelli — the son of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli.
- Story: Prada S.p.A. (HKEX: 1913) executed two structural transitions early this decade. On February 23, 2020, Prada announced Raf Simons would join Miuccia Prada as co-creative director with equal creative responsibility for the Prada brand — effective April 2, 2020. The first Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons collection was the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020. The structure deliberately challenged the singular-auteur model of luxury creative direction.
- Why it matters: Three years later, on January 26, 2023, Prada's board recommended Andrea Guerra as new Group CEO, ending the co-CEO arrangement between Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada. Patrizio Bertelli became Chairman; Miuccia Prada remained Creative Director of Miu Miu and of Prada (with Raf Simons) and a Board Member. The CEO transition was framed by Prada as part of a planned succession to ease the eventual leadership transfer to Lorenzo Bertelli — the son of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli.
- Takeaway: Andrea Guerra (former CEO of Luxottica and CEO of LVMH's hospitality unit) brought operational and luxury-conglomerate experience to the Prada Group CEO role.
- Takeaway: Miuccia Prada has been Miu Miu's creative director since launching the brand in 1992 — that role continued through the 2023 restructuring.
- Takeaway: Prada Group is listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange (HKEX: 1913), unusual for an Italian luxury house and reflecting the importance of Asian markets.
Prada Group's leadership transitions
Prada Group's structural transitions
Quick facts
February 2020: Raf Simons joins as co-creative director
On February 23, 2020, Prada announced that Raf Simons — the Belgian designer who had previously served as chief creative officer at Calvin Klein (2016-2018) and at Dior (2012-2015) — would join Prada as co-creative director with Miuccia Prada, effective April 2, 2020. The two would have equal creative responsibility. The announcement explicitly described the structure as 'a new approach to the definition of creative direction for a fashion brand' — challenging the singular-auteur model that had defined luxury fashion houses since the early 20th century. Simons and Miuccia Prada had a long professional relationship: Prada Group had owned Jil Sander from 1999 to 2006, during which time Simons had been Jil Sander's designer (2005-2006), and the two had stayed in regular contact since the eventual divestiture.
The first joint Prada-Simons collection: September 2020
The first Miuccia Prada and Raf Simons-designed Prada collection was the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020 — about six months after Simons formally joined. The show was held virtually due to COVID restrictions. The collection was widely covered as a successful demonstration that the co-creative-director structure could work in practice. Subsequent seasons continued the joint approach, with both creators credited equally and the design teams effectively merged at Prada's Milan headquarters.
January 2023: Andrea Guerra named CEO, succession context
On January 26, 2023, Prada's board recommended Andrea Guerra as the new Group CEO, ending the co-CEO structure between Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada. Patrizio Bertelli (Miuccia Prada's husband and long-term Group operational leader) became Chairman of the Board of Directors. Miuccia Prada remained Creative Director of Miu Miu, Co-Creative Director of Prada (with Raf Simons), and a Board Member. Prada itself framed the restructuring as a succession plan designed to ease the eventual leadership transition to Lorenzo Bertelli — the son of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli. Andrea Guerra's background was in luxury and consumer industry operations: he had been CEO of Luxottica (the global eyewear giant) and CEO of LVMH's hospitality unit, both significant operational-leadership roles in luxury and luxury-adjacent businesses.
Why both transitions matter structurally
The 2020 co-creative-director and 2023 CEO transitions together represented the planned organizational evolution of a family-controlled luxury house. The co-creative-director structure preserved Miuccia Prada's creative voice while ensuring continuity beyond her eventual retirement (Raf Simons being a natural designer-of-record successor). The CEO transition installed a professional, operationally-experienced executive (Andrea Guerra) to run the Group, while moving the founding family into Chairman and Creative Director roles where their long-term value to the business is highest. Lorenzo Bertelli was being prepared as the eventual third-generation leader of the family enterprise. The Hong Kong Stock Exchange listing (where Prada has traded since June 2011) means the structural changes are visible to public-market shareholders — but family control through founder-family voting structure remains a defining feature of how Prada operates.
Frequently asked questions
When did Raf Simons join Prada?
He was announced on February 23, 2020 and his role as co-creative director with Miuccia Prada took effect on April 2, 2020. The first collection they designed together was the Spring/Summer 2021 womenswear show, presented in Milan in September 2020. The co-creative-director structure was explicitly framed as a 'new approach' challenging the singular-auteur model of luxury creative direction.
When did Andrea Guerra become CEO of Prada?
He was recommended as Group CEO by Prada's board on January 26, 2023. Patrizio Bertelli and Miuccia Prada had previously been co-CEOs of the Group. Patrizio Bertelli moved to Chairman of the Board of Directors; Miuccia Prada continued as Creative Director of Miu Miu, co-Creative Director of Prada (with Raf Simons), and Board Member.
Who is Lorenzo Bertelli and why is he relevant to this?
Lorenzo Bertelli is the son of Miuccia Prada and Patrizio Bertelli. Prada's January 2023 announcement of the Andrea Guerra CEO appointment explicitly framed the restructuring as 'designed to ease the succession of Lorenzo Bertelli, the future leader of the Group.' Lorenzo Bertelli has been increasingly visible within the Group in marketing-and-corporate-social-responsibility roles, and was being prepared as the third-generation family leader.
Who is Andrea Guerra?
An Italian executive with substantial operating experience in luxury and consumer industries. Before Prada, he had been CEO of Luxottica (the global eyewear giant that merged with Essilor in 2018) and CEO of LVMH's hospitality unit. His combination of luxury-industry experience and operational discipline made him the choice to professionalize Prada's operating leadership while the founding family transitioned to Chairman and Creative Director roles.
Does Miuccia Prada still design at Prada?
Yes — she remains co-Creative Director of Prada (with Raf Simons) and full Creative Director of Miu Miu (the Prada Group sister brand she has personally led since launching it in 1992). The 2020 and 2023 restructurings preserved her creative roles entirely; what changed was the CEO/operational responsibility, which moved from Miuccia and Patrizio Bertelli's co-CEO role to Andrea Guerra.
Sources & references
- Prada Announces Co-Creative Directors (Prada Group press release, February 2020) — Prada's own announcement of the Simons co-creative-director appointment.
- Raf Simons Is Joining Prada. What Does It Mean for the Italian Megabrand? (Business of Fashion) — BoF analysis of the strategic and creative implications.
- Andrea Guerra Will Join the Prada Group (Prada Group press release, December 2022) — Prada's December 2022 announcement of Guerra's joining.
- Why Prada Is Hiring a New CEO (Business of Fashion) — BoF coverage with succession-planning context and Lorenzo Bertelli detail.
- Andrea Guerra appointed CEO of the Prada Group (World Footwear) — World Footwear coverage with role-transition specifics.
- Prada Group appoints Andrea Guerra as new CEO (TheIndustry.fashion) — Trade press coverage of the announcement.