Smash-the-Headlights Patriarch Intensity

“Miuccia and Bertelli have always been portrayed as the yin and yang: the brilliant creative, a refined intellectual lent to the creation of luxury and fashion, who meets the gruff industrialist with an exceptional intuition akin to the true animal spirit of capitalism. I will discover that this is an oversimplification of the complexity of a couple where creativity and business blend, roles change and subvert depending on the moment. That Bertelli has an irascible character is beyond question, capable also of temper tantrums and acts befitting a patriarchal leader of the last century, such as when he smashed the headlights of an employee's car who had parked in the wrong spot with a hammer. But he is also a creative who sketches designs, and Miuccia has a knack for business: among the two there is an elective affinity – I am told by some of their closest collaborators – which also thrives on lively discussions, going beyond the tensions of a couple's relationship marked by inevitable separations and embraces, always present in the decisions that matter.”

“Patrizio Bertelli from Arezzo is clearly one of them, "a serial entrepreneur," is how one who has worked closely with him charitably describes him. He is one of those who are not afraid to take risks, with a volcanic character far from the politically correct, ready for gut decisions and instant choices, much to the peace of mind of collaborators, accustomed to outbursts and strokes of genius. Even today, every single bag or shoe from Prada goes through his hands at the bright Tuscan headquarters in Valvigna: he designs it, touches it, smells it, checks every detail and, after going over it with the Lady, if he is convinced, he approves it. From that moment, in no time, it goes into production, as I will discover by visiting the labs where craftsmen in ice-white lab coats with the Prada logo invent new products.”