September 21, 2023 |
Serene for summer. That was the mood at Fendi, where Kim Jones sent out a collection of relaxed pieces with the kind of easy elegance that comes naturally to the Roman girls he spies on his way to work at the Fendi office. He took those IRL looks and mixed them up with the finest Fendi fabrics. “In Rome there is an elegance in ease and not caring what anybody else thinks,” says Jones.
He referred to the effortless style of his Fendi colleagues and muses Silvia Venturini Fendi (who designs menswear and accessories) and Delfina Delettrez Fendi (who designs jewellery). “It’s about women who dress for themselves and their real lives,” adding, “it’s not about being something but being someone.” Poised and practical, the collection was also infused with Fendi craftsmanship. Jones described it as “a very beautiful collection”, and heightened the emotion with an elegiac Dinah Washington/Max Richter composite track of “This Bitter Earth” and “On The Nature of Daylight”.
The show opened with colour-block knit and leather pieces in expensive tones of Fendi yellow, orange, smoke blue and tan – the palette inspired by the SS99 Karl Lagerfeld Fendi collection. The pieces came layered and draped or were cut away on the body mixed with masculine tailoring, and little flat ballet pumps that fastened with a gold anklet. The look was eye-catching but also easy, comfortable, form-fitting and flattering.
There was a focus on fabrication. As well as the usually butter soft Fendi leather and printed silk, Jones experimented with unusual finishes – a papery, laminated duster coat and fluid jersey dresses covered in droplets of matt latex which offered a fresh and supple alternative to sequins. The new Flip bag – a soft, fold over shopper – encapsulated the ease and practicality of the collection. Everything had an easy elegance which belied the sophistication of the clothes. What looked like corduroy skirt suit was in fact shaved shearling bonding to silk in strips. A vivid orange scarf-neck halter dress was drop dead chic. The show closed with a series of ribbed knit column dresses that were easy as T-shirts.
Photography courtesy of Fendi.
