The company was started in 1913 by Mario Prada and his brother Martino as a leather goods shop ? Fratelli Prada ? in Milan, Italy.[2][3] Initially, the shop sold animal goods and imported English steamer trunks and handbags. Mario Prada did not believe that women should have a role in business, and so he prevented female family members from entering his company. Ironically, Mario\'s son had no interest in the business, so it was Mario\'s daughter Luisa who succeeded Mario and ran Prada for almost twenty years. Luisa\'s daughter, Miuccia Prada, joined the company in 1970, eventually taking over from Luisa in 1978.[citation needed] Miuccia began making waterproof backpacks out of Pocono, a nylon fabric.[2] She met Patrizio Bertelli in 1977, an Italian who had begun his own leather goods business at the age of 24, and he joined the company soon after. He advised Miuccia on company business, which she followed. It was his advice to discontinue importing English goods and to change the existing luggage.[citation needed] Development Miuccia inherited the company in 1978 by which time sales were up to U.S. $450,000. With Bertelli alongside her as business manager, Miuccia was allowed time to implement her creativity in the company\'s designs.[2] She would go on to incorporate her ideas into the house of Prada that would change it.[2] She released her first set of backpacks and totes in 1979. They were made out of a tough military spec black nylon that her grandfather had used as coverings for steamer trunks. Initial success was not instant, as they were hard to sell due to the lack of advertising and high prices, but the lines would go on to become her first commercial hit. Next, Miuccia and Bertelli sought out wholesale accounts for the bags in upscale department stores and boutiques worldwide. In 1983, Prada opened a second boutique in the centre of the Galleria Vittorio Emanuele in Milan\'s shopping heart, on the site of the previous historic \"London House\" emporium run by Felice Bellini from 1870 to the 1960s, reminiscent of the original shop, but with a sleek and modern contrast to it. The next big release was a nylon tote. That same year, the house of Prada began expansion across continental Europe and the United States by opening locations in prominent shopping districts within Florence, Paris, Madrid, and New York City. A shoe line was also released in 1984. In 1985 Miuccia released the \"classic Prada handbag\" that became an overnight sensation. Although practical and sturdy, its sleek lines and craftsmanship had a luxury that has become the Prada signature. In 1987, Miuccia and Bertelli married. Prada launched its women\'s ready-to-wear collection in 1988, and the designs came to be known for their dropped waistlines and narrow belts. Prada\'s popularity increased when the fashion world took notice of its clean lines, opulent fabrics, and basic colors. The logo for the label was not as obvious a design element as those on bags from other prominent luxury brands such as Louis Vuitton. It tried to market its lack of prestigious appeal, including of its apparel, by projecting an image of \"anti-status\" or \"inverse snobbery\". 1990s See also: Miu Miu Prada\'s originality made it one of the most influential fashion houses,[2] and the brand became a premium status symbol in the 1990s. Sales were reported at L 70 billion, or US$31.7 million, in 1998.[citation needed] Patrizio di Marco took charge of the growing business in the United States after working for the house in Asia. He was successful in having the Prada bags prominently displayed in department stores, so that they could become a hit with fashion editors. Prada\'s continued success was attributed to its \"working-class\" theme which, Ginia Bellafante at The New York Times Magazine proclaimed, \"was becoming chic in the high-tech, IPO-driven early 1990s.\" Furthermore, now husband and wife, Miuccia and Bertelli led the Prada label on a cautious expansion, making products hard to come by.