"The Boss In Style" - Bertelli on Miuccia Prada

Investment in English manufacture; a new technical school in Tuscany to offer 60 students specialist training programmes; sales of Church growing to €250 million from €68.6 million over the next five years; and a new 356,400sq ft headquarters designed by Guido Canali - judging by its plans for the next year, Prada could never be accused of resting on its laurels.

Also to look forward to are  in-store Marchesi pastry shops, after the famed Italian bakery joined the group's stable last month, a new-look London flagship in the latter half of 2015 and the first Miu Miu fragrance, also expected next year, which Patrizio Bertelli said yesterday displayed "a change" in pace of the growth of the label. "We don't hide that it's Miuccia designing it, it's not a look-alike taking a bow on the runway," he said during a meeting for investors and press yesterday. "But she has two separate work groups, from commercial to product and retail, and Miu Miu is the true competitor of Prada. The best fun is when Miu Miu competes with Prada."

Miuccia Prada

As buoyant as ever, despite announcing an annual profit growth of just 0.3 per cent yesterday, Bertelli confirmed that his wife Miuccia´s decision to step down as chairman to become joint-CEO in February was no surprise. "Holding the role of president was too time-consuming for [her]," he said. "She has always been co-CEO, it was just made official. She is my right hand in this function and she is the boss in style."

Insisting that he had never worked to be famous or rich but to enjoy the "intellectual freedom [which] distinguishes us", Bertelli said that - despite his reputation for being the moneyman - he is, like his wife, all about the product. "I dedicate 60 per cent of my time to product," he said. "That has not changed over the years - product is the starting point and finance comes after. I never want to lose sight of this and I strive to remain curious, if you take curiosity and imagination away, there's no use for people like me."