The Prada backpack broke the rules of conspicuous consumption with its subtle understatement-- for where were the susual designer logos; the flashy fabrics; the leather, fur, and feathers?
The iconic Prada backpack was modernist, lightweight, fashioned out of cheap industrial material, stamped with a diminutive logo, and presented in austere graphic black.

If this was a bag of lifestyle choice, what sort of lifestyle did it signify for the 1990s consumer?
Minimalist.
The bag became fashion's equivalent of downsizing: a hands-free option for the city nomad; an example of stealth wealth in the midst of a culture suffering from pre-millenium tension.