The Prada name is rich with history. But looking at a Miuccia Prada-designed collection, that’s not immediately clear. Under her watch, Prada designs wax and wane from season to season and influences run the gamut. In just the past few years, the European immigration crisis, the politics of the Spanish Inquisition, the ‘60s, and most recently, comic books have all played inspiration. There is little semblance of a through line between each season, but her consistency reigns supreme and is perhaps the perfect example of Miuccia’s mastery in motion.

Behind these constant shifts is a guiding light: Prada says, “you have to consume one idea so that the next idea comes.” Her desire to learn as much as possible about her inspiration has led to a reputation that now precedes her—whether it’s openly wondering whether she is the most powerful, and influential designer in fashion or her own remarks that she is so often ahead of the curve that people copy her work. As she put in her own words: “For example, with the Hawaiian shirts, we did them three years ago, and everyone started doing them, so I decided to put them back on the runway.” She also possesses the unique ability to devise covetable items that sell out instantly and still fold into a larger cohesive collection. Which she’s done recently with French artist and polymath Christophe Chemin to create printed shirts that have taken on the status of instant classics.

Prada’s often-evolving design philosophy may give off the sense that her collections are too intellectual or experimental for the masses. After all, consistency tends to be good business and many brands offer a rotation of signature items that help pay the bills. With nearly $4 billion in revenue, Prada couldn’t be further from the truth. In a sea of struggling labels and luxury conglomerates that seem to have lost their way, Prada is something of a sleeping giant that has found a balance between the leather goods and accessories the label was founded on and Miuccia’s whimsy and fantasy.

This combination was on full display at this season’s Milan Fashion Week, when Prada presented the aforementioned comic book-inspired S/S 2018 collection, which has brought about a somewhat unexpected moment in the spotlight. Prada is a fixture on the MFW schedule, but this collection took on a life of its own.

Surrounded by an immersive runway experience that included thick black outlines reminiscent of comic book borders, dotted graphics and magnified panels by artist James Jean, the clothes put a jostled collision of outfits fit for your favorite comic book character on display. Slim boiler suits, popped collars, both slim and wide-legged trousers, the ‘90s nostalgia of cross-body fanny packs and waist bags, panels of graphic art, tucked-in cardigans and an abundance of velcro on both clothing and footwear defined a what turned out to be potentially this year’s most memorable presentation. And yet, by the time Prada presents again, it will have faded from our memories. At a time when designers can come under fire for their lack of vision or cohesion to connect their work, Miuccia Prada has made such seemingly reckless abandon a standout feature. She openly admitted that she isn’t a comic book reader, but was still able to use the human insight of the artform to direct the design. That is a feat.

In the now-famous System interview with Raf Simons, Prada described the internal monologue she goes through each time she designs a new collection, saying “Perhaps we do things that are too strange, and sometimes I think to myself, ‘Is this the right thing to do?’”

For Prada, the answer is a definitive “yes.”