At 76, Miuccia Prada's Personal Style Has Never Been More Influential – Here Are Her Best Ever Outfits

Miuccia Prada turns 76 on May 10, and as she enters the latter half of her eighth decade the creative mastermind behind both Prada and Miu Miu is finding that what she chooses to wear is increasingly in the spotlight. And it's easy to understand why.

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Throughout her career, the Italian designer has established a strong sense of personal style that relies on a series of staples and silhouettes that rarely shift. Grey sweaters are a favourite, so too are pleated skirts worn with socks and heels (sometimes ladylike courts, other times shining dancing shoes). When she's not wearing an A-line silhouette then it's a boxy blouson and neat capri pants, ideally in a decadent jacquard. This easily identifiable way of dressing cuts through and makes an impact in a world that calls on all of us to have a personal brand - whether that is your life's work or not.

That's not to say that she herself avoids the trends she sets on the runway. Nobody wears her own designs as well as she does, whether it's a leather Miu Miu skirt suit or sky-high heels from Prada she is the definitive example. It's why when sat at her fashion shows editors anticipate her closing bow as much as the fresh looks that proceed her exit.

Avril Mair, ELLE's fashion, watches and jewellery director, has long studied, and appreciated, Mrs Prada's looks from both up close and afar. 'Though French women have a reputation for being unfailingly chic, Italians really do it better with a playful, almost eccentric embrace of glamour,' Mair explains. 'With her ankle socks and grey sweaters and 1920s diamond earrings, Mrs Prada is my ultimate style icon – it’s the element of surprise that I love, there’s always something unconventional about her look, which is quite uniform-like otherwise. It’s a lesson in understated elegance'

Here, put together with care, attention and some difficulty in curating what could be an unending list, are Miuccia Prada's best ever looks.