September 22, 2022 |
Each Kim Jones collection for Fendi solidifies his finger-on-the-pulse vision for the house. He riffs on its place in the luxury cannon, but it never feels nostalgic. Jones pushes ever forward, creating desire in his wake. He’s like the fashion version of a thirst trap.
After this show, who doesn’t want a pair of slouchy satin cargo pants worn with a fluttering racer back vest and rubber-soled Fendi wedges? Past, present and future coexist for Jones, who looked at Karl Lagerfeld’s Fendi collections from 1996-2002 and found himself fascinated by the era’s blend of minimalist ease and pop cultural pizazz. It’s about continuity,” said Jones of his archive excursions, “I am interested in looking at things that Karl has done, and seeing how we can develop them – both visually and technically.” A double F logo from 2000 was ripe for reanimation as was a floral print that shot through the collection.
But those slouchy satin pieces in ice cream shades, were only part of the story. Jones focused too, on tailoring. Leaning into his precision menswear, he showed exquisitely cut coats and jackets, with integral satin obi belts. It was an idea carried over from couture. Speaking of which, a couture garment is as beautifully crafted on the inside as the out, and in another nod to Fendi’s haute heritage, Jones fashioned ‘inside out’, skirts with that covetable Fendi label on show.
“What is particularly interesting to me about Fendi is exploring the notion of functional utility alongside femininity – because the Fendi women are strong women with full, busy lives,” said Jones. As well as breezy, easy pieces and precision tailoring, those busy lives need bags. The Peekaboo now comes with a chain and a teeny-tiny jewellery twin. And with that the Fendi woman is ready for anything.
Photography courtesy of Fendi.
