To understand Verde Visconti’s relationship with her boss, Miuccia Prada, perhaps the most revered fashion designer in the world, one must first understand the intricacies of Italian. In English, we use the word “you” whether we’re addressing a friend, a stranger, or the King of England. But in Italian, there are two versions of “you”—“tu” and “Lei”—and choosing the right one depends on context. “We have the differentiation when you speak to someone more formally,” says Visconti, who only ever uses “Lei” with her boss. “It’s the equivalent of ‘thou.’ ”

Visconti, who is 56, was hired as a junior press assistant at Prada in 1996, and today she is in charge of talent relations and special projects for Prada and Miu Miu, and is also the PR director at Prada. “And we’re still in the formal,” s

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