What to Wear: Fall/Winter 2011 Fashion in Prague

Prague Fashion Weekend (September 24–25, 2011) swished by in a wash of techno and lights, bedecking demure Pařížská Street with floaty models and blasts of color. If you missed the fanfare, the PFW website is a good resource for scoping out all the latest in Czech fashion. In other news, Prague’s once slender stable of shopping options continues to grow, and with a number of major retailers, including Macy’s and Gap, now shipping to the Czech Republic, maybe this is the year we stop referring to Prague as a fashion wasteland.

Prague Fashion Weekend

Shopping the high end
This season, several upmarket labels debut their A/W collections on Pařížská Street. The clean lines and signature androgynous style that have given Stockholm’s Acne label worldwide cult status have at long last come to Prague. Acne’s latest collection, characterized by ultra-modern oversized vests and motorcycle jackets in pale hues, is now available at Simple Concept Store.

Some of Pařížská’s most exclusive shops are so exclusive they don’t even have names. Marc Jacobs’ fall line of shoes and handbags has arrived at Boutique Pařížská 13. Keeping with the current trend of prim glamour, Jacobs’s coveted quilted satchels in bold colors flaunt his irreverent style. Sister shop Boutique Pařížská 18 introduces the Czech capital to the lavish furs and delicate lace of Tom Ford’s vampy womenswear collection.

Acne Fall Collection / Marc Jacobs’ Fall Line of handbags

The new Pietro Brunelli boutique, Prague’s first ready-to-wear maternity line, gives those with a swelling baby bump better style options.

What’s new is old
A few just-opened vintage boutiques in Josefov offer fashion finds from yesterday—and tomorrow’s trends. With two locations, Nana Vogue specializes in Burberry, Chanel, Marc Jacobs, Diane von Furstenburg, Gucci, and other luxe labels. Shop vintage handbags and scarves, plus original jewelry and fashion designs from local artists.

The Item features designer and vintage pieces in a cozy space that’s not unlike a friend’s apartment. It’s also the Prague flagship store for Japanese designer Yasuko Naga and designs by the provocative Unplugged/Museum label.

The Item

Hidden-gem boutiques
Browse Eastern-inspired jewelry by Satya, flowy, feminine pieces from Swedish designer Carin Wester, the wild animal prints of Britain’s Emma Cook, and more at Gallery by Minty Concept Club, a recently-opened space devoted to original looks by young international designers and fresh local talent.

Other newish boutiques of note include Jaroslava in Palác Lucerna. Czech designer Jaroslava Procházková’s knee-skimming, nubby sweater dresses in warm shades are just the thing for cool weather. Also in Lucerna, check out Nymph for sylvan-inspired styles that are easy on the budget, many of them hailing from the UK.Diva Design Shop does affordable funky fashions and accessories by local designers.

Furry Footwear
Lidovky reports that a number of top international brands will continue to add stores throughout Prague in the coming year (among them Swedish chains KappAhl and Lindex, and sleek purveyor of accessories and denim, Liu Jo, which has opened a brand new location in Palác Flora.) If you haven’t checked out CCC, you’ll soon have the chance to shop the shoemaker’s wallet-friendly ankle boots for fall, embellished with fur and buttons, at an outpost near you. And speaking of furry footwear, the English luxury label MOU debuts on the Czech market this holiday season at trendy Butik Spazio 33.

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