AMO, the research branch of OMA, used a fragmented backdrop for the Prada 2018 Resort fashion show held at Fondazione Prada’s new exhibition space "Osservatorio", opened in 2016 in Milan's Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II.

Fondazione Prada opened Osservatorio, a new exhibition space dedicated to photography and visual languages, located in Galleria Vittorio Emanuele II in Milan, on 21 December, 2016.

Osservatorio is a place where trends and expressions in contemporary photography are explored, investigating the constant evolution of this medium and its connections with other disciplines and creative realms. Osservatorio is also the site of Prada's first shop. 

Extending across the fifth and sixth floors of one of the Galleria’s main buildings, Osservatorio is located above the central octagon, at the level of the glass and iron dome that covers the arcades, realized by Giuseppe Mengoni between 1865 and 1867. The spaces, rebuilt after the Second World War after downtown Milan was bombed in 1943, have now been fully restored, providing an 800-square-meter exhibition space that develops across two levels.

Fo the Prada 2018 Resort fashion show - exhibiting collection for womenswear - AMO conceived the stage as "a confrontation between real and manufactured moments."

AMO arranged the seatings as linear orientating the guests towards the cupola placed beyond the large windows. The stage was enhanced by both reflective and translucent columns, the guests have a transfigured view of the chiseled profile of Mengoni’s architecture. 

"Models walked along the windows, glowing in the afternoon sun, suspended between the sky and the ornate iron dome that acts as the silent backdrop for the show," stated AMO for the backdrop.

"On the other side of the room this scene is deconstructed and magnified. A continuous mirror running along the wall echoes the overall scene, augmenting the room’s proportions." 

Distorted fragments of Galleria and evanescent details of the collection cover the surfaces of a series of screens in reflective and pastel colors, blending the spectacle into the set, creating an ephemeral ensemble.

AMO and OMA have a long-standing collaboration with the Italian fashion brand Prada. AMO recently completed its new catwalk stage for Prada's Fall/Winter 2017 Men’s and Women’s collection in the Via Fogazzaro, Milan - the fashion stage composed of a series of modest and domestic elements featuring continues wooden partitions. 

Last year, AMO set a linear metallic-coloured ramp for the 2017 SS Prada Men’s And Women’s Show, interpreting the stage as a "stratification of architectures", as part of Milan fashion week. 

All images courtesy of Prada

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