A Rare Look Inside Marfa, Texas' Mysterious Prada Store In The Middle Of The Desert
The door is always locked!
A woman stands in front of Prada Marfa. Right: The Prada Marfa art installation in Valentine, TX.
When you're on a road trip through the western plains of the Lone Star state, just north of Marfa, Texas, you'll soon spot a peculiar Prada store on the side of the road.
You've probably seen pictures of the high fashion store in the middle of nowhere for years, and it intrigued you. It's featured in artwork, pictures of it were popularly reblogged on Tumblr throughout 2013, and it's still visited by road-trippers today.
The place is so mysterious that not many people know about the building's origin, or even what it's doing there in the first place.
Why is there a Prada in Marfa?
Well, it's actually just an art installation called Prada Marfa.
Many visitors are under the impression a real store once functioned there, and though it may look abandoned, it was never even inhabited, to begin with.
Artists Michael Elmgreen and Ingar Dragset built the boutique in 2005, and even Miuccia Prada made some contributions to it, but it's strictly art.
"It was a different situation than being commissioned by Prada to do something because then it would’ve been a promotional event," Elmgreen is quoted on the official website.
"For us, it was something we came up with because we thought, how would these shops for luxury goods actually look if they were taken out of their normal context?”
Can you go inside Prada Marfa?
Nope!
Just recently some travelers stopped by the installation, and the man who gives it a weekly clean just happened to be there with the building door open.
Lucky for the tourists, they snuck a quick exclusive glance through the opened door, careful not to actually step inside the actual "store".
In the video shared on Instagram by a couple traveling the 50 states by RV, you can see the interior filmed from the outside.
They got a close look at the 21 pairs of real Prada shoes stocked on the shelves, along with 6 Prada purses all from the 2005 fall collection the brand curated to match the desert colors.
You can stop by for a free visit at any time of the day. You're bound to get some really cool pictures for Instagram.
Marfa Prada, Texas
Price: Free
Address: 14880 US-90, Valentine, TX 79854
Why You Need To Go: This "fake" Prada store is a mystic gem to visit in Texas.
Before you get going, check out our Responsible Travel Guide so you can be informed, be safe, be smart, and most of all, be respectful on your adventure.