Prada began as a modest family-run leather goods and luxury luggage shop named Fratelli Prada, founded in Milan, Italy, in 1913 by Mario Prada. For decades, it served European aristocracy until Mario's granddaughter, Miuccia Prada, took over creative control in the late 1970s. Alongside her husband Patrizio Bertelli, she revolutionized the conservative luxury industry by introducing industrial nylon accessories and avant-garde minimalist designs, transforming a traditional storefront into a global fashion empire.