The collection and together the setting of the luminous FENDI Factory represent a true reflection on the creative and making process of each piece. The movement of man and the ticking of machines become an indissoluble and intangible link between what the past brings and what the future will aspire to instead. Nature and innovation coexist in an incredible space, the industrial and handmade prototype find space alongside each other, intertwining and merging with each other, almost getting lost. A true homage to craftsmanship, a reinterpretation of the utilitarian codes of the workwear world, and a unique attention to detail: these are the pivotal elements that build the défilé of the new Men’s season. FENDI craftsmanship is celebrated in modern and sophisticated expressions of innovative proposals.
The colors in the collection are reminiscent of the surrounding Tuscan landscape, varying through mineral hues from burnt amber and terracotta to deep indigo, there is also a soft mist of sage, limestone and chalk. Nettle fiber, along with plant pigments of acacia, juniper, henna and poppy, is used for yarn dyeing in knitwear. There are other raw materials that follow the thread of sustainability, such as paper fabrics, finely printed linen and raw cotton, as well as elegant silks and leathers with Selleria stitch. Cotton and summer wools are interspersed with leather details, pockets applied to work belts house and reveal the tools of the trade. Aprons are also repurposed in various materials and colors throughout the collection, as collared shirts or as skirts of various lengths worn over tailored pants and casual shorts. Proportions and layers make the looks dynamic, and accompany seemingly simpler garments like tank tops with fine ribbing, high-waisted pants with zippers, and shirts buttoned up to the elbow. Paying homage to the magnificence of the Italian art of basket weaving, FF tweed is woven into a cotton and linen shirt or a lightly knit shearling coat. Trompe l’oeil effects celebrate the artisan’s craftsmanship, from tone-on-tone FF jacquards or cotton floral embroidery, to a contrasting pattern of metallic details designed for evening wear.
“In fashion you hear a lot about the designer, and the brand, but to be fully transparent you should be able to know who makes the items, and in what conditions. That’s what we want to do today.”
The accessories represent an explosion of character, a decisive reference to the tactile expression of Fendi’s finest craftsmanship. Softly shaped woven baskets and rigid suitcases with vibrant tool prints. The new structured and deconstructed models of Pekaboo and Baguette are offered in vegetable-dyed fabrics. The new Chiodo satchel is presented in grained leather, and associated with the eponymous swivel backpack with leather straps that feature the circular FENDI Shadow zipper that adorns the shoe of the season: the FENDI Lab clog, featuring a swivel heel strap and a contoured FF sole made of bio-based rubber. The jewelry, on the other hand, designed by Delfina Delettrez Fendi, are locker key pendants, small Made in Fendi tags, StaFF Only brooches, and 1925 hoop earrings, all of which play irreverently with the factory’s everyday tools. The Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 accessories world also gives way to the FENDI KENGO KUMA project, a new artistic dialogue between Italy and Japan, which sees Kuma’s architectural principles applied to the iconic Peekaboo, Baguette Soft Trunk, and FENDI Flow sneakers reimagined in traditional waranshi paper, woven bamboo, birch bark, and Tuscan olive wood.
“Here we have our factory where craft and industry meet and support each other. Also because the future of craftsmanship is linked to industry.”
The new FENDI Factory in Capannuccia (Bagno a Ripoli), not far from Florence, merges with the unspoiled world of the Tuscan countryside. Introduced last year as an innovative hub of excellence and avant-garde, it is a destination for the artisans of the future. It tells of the highest standards in terms of environmental sustainability, social responsibility and attention to the core aspects of the brand: creation, development, research and innovation, design and production. The boundary between indoor and outdoor space is thinned indefinitely, with the aim of creating a harmonious encounter between the working environment and the outdoors. The presentation took place on two different moments, first presented to the artisans and then to friends, guests and press. The digital experience also runs exactly between the two situations; produced and conceived by Nico Vascellari and Rocco Rampino together with the soundtrack sampling ambient sounds from the factory and the surrounding outdoor space. The FENDI Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection thus becomes an ode to the brand’s careful and sincere new adventure, its historic return to Florence, where Silvia Venturini Fendi’s grandmother, Adele Fendi, traveled from Rome to learn the art of leather working nearly a century ago.
