Summer Reads: Miu Miu Takes On Feminist Literature

Miu Miu, Prada’s sister brand and the face of new-age feminine fashion, starts out this summer by entering into literary high-society. In fashion capitals around the world—New York, Paris, Milan, Seoul—Miu Miu is handing out free feminist literature novels, written by the likes of Jane Austen, Sibilla Aleramo, and Alba de Céspedes. On the inside of these books is a note: “Furthering Miu Miu’s commitment to contemporary thought and culture, books are the protagonists of Summer Reads”. In an effort to align with an intellectual brand identity, this series of pop-ups encourages young women to muse over both classic and modern narratives on women’s lives and positions in history.

Literature and fashion are already familiar faces to each other. Runway collections have historically derived themes from literature: Christian Dior’s collection “Midsummer Night’s Dream”, inspired by Shakespeare, and Vivienne Westwood’s “Witches”, borne from Arthur Miller's The Crucible, stand as notable examples. Additionally, fashion has been a status marker for class in literature, with characters often being described by their attire to identify them and their place in society. Miu Miu walks this intersection, and thus, acknowledges the codependent nature of absorbing various media forms while embracing the twining of one art form with another. 

Although reading is not a new hobby in any measure, Summer Reads follows a larger trend of intellectualism, or at least aspiration to embody it, across social media: following conversations on ‘highbrow’ and ‘lowbrow’ literature, “BookTok” versus “LiteratureTok”, and new postmodern classic picks, reading has become popularized and subsequently commercialized in an already highly consumer-driven economy. Although this quick-cycle pattern of consumption should be observed with a cautious eye (as many designer fashion brands often strive to separate themselves with the concept of creating for monetary value), Miu Miu cleverly uses their influence and this shift in popular style to promote education and its accessibility for women, while assimilating their brand image with one of forward-thinking and intellectual minds. With much of fashion, especially Miu Miu, having a largely female-concentrated audience, positive influence on their consumers has potential to be more heavy-handed than many other markets. By investing their social currency into women and their education, Miu Miu establishes themselves as a culture-conscious, contemporary brand that values intelligence just as much as fashionable looks.