Prada Embroidered Baroque Monkey Top

Dancing on bananas for good measure

When I first saw Prada’s Spring/Summer 2011 runway, I was in love. There were so many fun yet wearable garments that were bound to be rare collectibles some day, and if you look at the resale prices, I was proven right!

I love too many pieces from this collection, but these particular look stopped me at my tracks:

I love the motif so much!!!

I have been scouring all over the internet for the top, but it never really came up for sale, unsurprisingly. I’m sure all the girlies who own this would hold onto it for as long as they could; such a work of art! Years ago, I chanced upon a brand new one on an online marketplace, but it was too expensive for my liking even though it was in my size. Still, I added it to my cart, hoping it would miraculously-drop to a steal; my delusion is always at its peak when it comes to shopping.

[shakes head]

Just last year, I finally saw it; the top in my size and a preferred price point in another online marketplace! However, I have never shopped from there before and needed a proxy; I spent hours just looking for a reliable one, just so I have a chance to purchase that goddamn top, LOL. The proxy was super nice and responsive, but he/she dropped a bomb: the listing was more than a year old, so they would have to contact the seller first. I waited for a week, and the proxy came back to me with bad news: The seller never responded.

Oh, the HEARTBREAK!

Still, I held on hope; the one in my cart was still available for purchase, and I was hoping to be able to save enough to MAYBE take the plunge. However, knowing me, I’m too cheapskate to splurge, even if it is for an iconic Prada piece.

I shouldn’t have been too worried though, because just a few months later right around Christmas time, I found the top in my size in yet ANOTHER online marketplace! Luckily, it was also from the same country as the proxy I contacted before, so I wrote to them again with the immense faith that no one else will purchase the listing before me. I was quite hesitant to approach the proxy at first, because the main listing photo was similar to the one I was interested in before, but the remaining photos were different. Still, this was a risk I was willing to take, so I quickly looked up the said-proxy’s contact information and sent them a message.

The proxy of course had to write in to the seller to confirm its availability, and although this time it only took one whole day, it was a terribly agonising wait. The shopping gods were very kind to me though; the seller is active and the top was mine for the taking!

Of course, there were still a few more hurdles to cross. Could the seller be a fraud? Will the top make it safely to the proxy? Would the proxy steal my purchase? WOULD IT GET TO ME EVENTUALLY?!?!?!

I needn’t worry in the end, because I was really lucky to find a responsible proxy who was prompt with updates and replies. When I got a photo of the package content just days later, I knew half of the problems had vanished. I was told that it takes about a week for the parcel to get to me, which means it may make it in time for me to ring in the New Year. I tried so hard not to get my hopes up, but when I am expecting a package with such an important piece, you bet I would hit the refresh button on the tracking page every other minute!

If you followed me on Threads, you’d know that I was having a mini meltdown online while waiting for its arrival, LOL. I almost had a heart attack because my local shipper and the original shipping company had contradicting tracking updates that lasted for days! I did not think it would make it to me (or if I myself would make it wtf) by the end of 2025, BUT IT DID.

[screams in Prada]

So that’s the end of my purchase story!

Some of you may have come across this viral Reddit post not too long ago featuring the same top. Sadly, I didn’t get it for less than a dollar, but mine was still reasonably-priced for such a rarity. I actually have another top from this season, but I had to sell it because it was way too small for me; that will be another story for another day, when I find one in my size!

The monkey and banana baroque motif is actually embroidered onto the fabric; such an incredible piece with lovely texture. I adore it worn tucked in or out on its own; it creates a rather slimming silhouette due to the nipped-in waist. The bateau neckline does a great job making a simple top look more elegant.

This top was also featured in The New York Metropolitan Museum of Art exhibition titled “Schiaparelli & Prada: Impossible Conversations” in 2012, curated by Harold Koda and Andrew Bolton, with director Baz Luhrmann as the Creative Consultant.

Here are some editorials featuring the top:

For those of you looking to purchase the same top, the main thing you should be aware of is that the fabric can yellow over time; I have seen a few instances where the white background has turned cream-like. Finally, do take note of the embroidery in case of snags; with its busy pattern, they are hardly noticeable.

Finally, if you’re interested in something similar but on a more basic cut, click HERE for the t-shirt version that is still available for purchase at the time of writing.