In a week defined by the frenetic pace of global design trends, Miuccia Prada chose to pivot toward the profound.
Miuccia Prada’s literary club returned to Milan, this year focusing on the theme of Politics of Desire, explored through the intersection of fashion and female intellectual thought, and, of course, literature.
Miu Miu is often deemed as Prada’s experimental counterpart and a creative playground. They utilised their presence at this year’s Salon del Mobile to continue their commitment to literary culture.
The event was held at Circolo Filologico Milanese, Milan’s oldest cultural association, dedicated to promoting literature, language, and civilisation, and is known as a hub for art and intellect.
Luigi Perrone’s Art Nouveau architecture served as an ambient backdrop for the event, using this as an opportunity to discuss cultural and political discourse, Miu Miu continues to distinguish themselves as a leading voice in cultural conversations, rising above the commercial noise of the fair.
Megan Nolan, Annabelle Hirsch and Lea Melandri on day one of Miu Miu Literary Club 2026
Each year, the conversations are framed around the novels of two chosen authors, this year it was Noble Prize-winning Annie Ernaux’s A Girl’s Story (2016) alongside A Love Story (1991) by Ama Ata Aidoo, one of the most authoritative figures in African literature.
Ernaux’s novel is an autobiographical work that revisits the summer of 1958. Aidoo’s A Love Story focuses on the life of a Ghanaian woman who divorces her first husband. Despite the difference in geographical and temporal perspectives, both books create a universal conversation on female agency.
The first day was set in motion with a conversation exploring the interactions of desire and consent through an examination of the role that social expectations play in the shaping of the shared understanding of personal experience. The discussion framed by Ernaux’s novel featured a panel which included Annabelle Hirsch, Lea Melandri, Megan Nolan, and was moderated by Lou Stoppard.
This was followed by, Desire After AI, a lecture led by cultural theorist Olga Goriunova. In the context of her book, The Abstract People of AI (2025), this talk addressed daily behaviours and modern subjectivity in the wider conversations of the politics of desire.
Day two was started with a discussion of Aidoo’s book, exploring the intersections of modernity, tradition and female agency from the perspectives of Francesca Marciano, Wayétu Moore, Gloria Wekker and moderated by Nadia Beard.
These panels and conversations, including from Katherine Angel, Olga Campofreda, and Rosi Braidotti, were followed by poetry readings and musical performances. Adjacent to the line-up of influential speakers, Braidotti curated a library that served as a space for visitors to sit and read and engage with the discourses covered throughout the event.
By centering the Politics of Desire, Miuccia Prada reminded the fashion world that the most provocative garment a woman can wear is still her own mind.
In a world increasingly dominated by the ephemeral and the digital, Miu Miu’s commitment to physical texts and rigorous debate serves to challenge its audience to look beyond the aesthetic and toward the agency of the individual.
Image credit: Miu Miu
