September 25, 2025 |
Silvia Venturini Fendi used colour magic at Fendi. The designer followed up her blockbuster centenary collection with a vibrant dose of optimism. Featherweight fabrics, sporty attitude and vivid hues – Fendi’s collection unleashed the feel good factor with one common denominator: craft. The skills of the Fendi atelier are awesome to behold. “It’s about a relaxed and colourful sense of ease with a romantic elegance,” said the designer, “a fluidity between everyday life and exquisite artisanal craftsmanship. Simple gestures with complex work behind them. This duality has always attracted me.”
If the look was easy and sporty, the craft lavished upon it was exceptional. Leather and satin running shorts were worn with bead-appliqué polo tops, drawstring ties decorated flirty frilled dresses and sporty stripes snaked down the seams of sheer lace pencil skirts.
Looks pinged between boyish (perforated leather running shorts and a matching hoodie) to ladylike (ballerina pink skirt suits and floral lace pencil dresses). One coat looked, from afar, to be a check fabric but was actually made from individual ribbons of coloured shearling and leather woven expertly together. Basket weave knit tops and mini skirts merged seamlessly from open weave at the hem to tightly meshed at the neck. Graphic daisy cut outs and button appliqués added playful decoration to dresses shirts and coats.
The sporty ideal carried through to menswear with perforated leather blousons worn with organza tees and silk running shorts. One cornflower blue leather coat came with perforations that graduated from large to pin hole small as they travelled up the garment.
At Fendi, bags are always a talking point. The famous Baguette and Spy bags now come in a metallic cable knit version, Peekaboos had decadent embellished interiors, whilst the new pouch-style Collier bag reflected the sporty vibe of the show. Delfina Delettrez took care of the jewellery with gold cuffs, gold and enamel nugget pendants adding luxurious finishing touches along with cat’s eye aviators with leather pom-pom charms.
But it’s the colours and the joyful emotions they provoke that stick in the mind. From sunny yellows, sky blues towards turquoise, vermillion, bubblegum and coral pink. For SS26, Fendi is a happy place.
Photography courtesy of Fendi.
