Prada of Marfa

Prada of Marfa | 177 Miles

A desolate ribbon of U.S. highway, deep in the heart of the Chihuahuan Desert in west Texas, is probably the last place you’d expect to see an outpost of an international luxury goods retailer. In fact, it’s not a mirage, but an astonishingly real facsimile of a Prada store.

The squat white stucco building, whose signage proudly proclaims “Prada Marfa” is actually an art installation, but you’d be forgiven for thinking it’s an actual retail outlet. Scandinavian artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset designed and built the replica Prada boutique in 2005 with the full support of Prada Group of Italy, which allowed the use of its name and provided a selection of luxury goods from its 2005 fall/winter collection.

The original intention of the artists was for the piece to not be maintained over the years, but rather to let it naturally degrade, eventually morphing to fit its dusty surroundings. Unfortunately, that plan was ill-fated, as the piece was vandalized and robbed the night of its completion. And that’s why we can’t have nice things.

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Originally published in 2023.

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