February 23, 2017 |
This might be crass, and you know how we hate to appear so in front of Fendi, but would it be appropriate to evoke the lyrics of Ludacris, and his song Nasty Girl, in reference to the Italian house’s AW17 collection shown today in Milan? In particular, the line “lady on the streets and a freak in the…” well, you know the rest. Though perhaps here that line should be changed to (yes, we know it doesn’t quite have the same ring) lady on the top, freak beneath. Because this season the Fendi lady had this almost prim outer layer – slim charcoal outwear with bands of fur around the cuffs, sleek houndstooth tailoring, wool skirts that hit just above the ankle. Beautiful furs with geometric patterns, inspired by the Viennese woodblocks – the same block-y inspiration point becoming a print that covered floating tea dresses, or those roomy v-neck sweaters. So what of the freak beneath? Well that came through in those minx-y thigh-high red leather boots on the foot of almost every model. Joel thinks they’re a bit Kinky Boots (aside: does that mean that they come in man sizes for me?). Is she a bit naughty, then? To quote the press release – “it’s a morning after the night before,” say the notes. “the Fendi muse for AW17 emerges at dawn”. Oo-er. Because there was also a bit of a peak-a-boo situation here – transparent sheer layers or cut-out detailing across the knitwear, giving us the merest hint of skin, or the sexy – let’s call them brief – undies that the girls wore beneath. And all completed with licks of python, those patent leather overcoats or the glitzy FF Fendi branding that sat on waist-cinching belts or around the cuffs. Because what lady doesn’t want both? Safe to say we’re o-b-s-e-s-s-e-d.
Photographs by Jason Lloyd-Evans
