Kim Jones, together with the Maison’s artisans, thinks of a proposal that appears light, but with a sense of volume inherent in it, as fluid and simple as the draperies that construct it. There is no longer talk of costume, and therefore of a rigid and set aspect of women’s fashion, but rather of a softer, graceful and yielding feeling. The Fendi woman is in fact looking for softness and flexibility in garments and fits, for sensuality but at the same time also for rigor. There is no longer talk of mere appearance, but attention is brought back to the act of wearing and the very beauty of doing so. The idea of simplicity appears clear and merges with weaves and hidden research; volumes, draping and sculptural shapes of the looks are achieved by complex and rigorous cuts, a symbol of the Maison’s great creative and craftsmanship skills.
“This season, we wanted to concentrate on the achievement of fluidity, drape and shape through couture techniques, bringing these elements together with the attitude of today.”
Second-skin silks are offered alongside intricate one-piece knits or paired with tailored fur draped in neoprene and shearling, with FENDI chevron feather appliqués. The outer corset is meant to represent this idea of decomposed restraint, which leaves room for convenience and comfort. Jeweled dresses, crystal embroidery, draping and lines of extreme elegance elevate aesthetics and tailoring. The precision and emotion of the clothes is also echoed in the jewelry, conceived by Delfina Delettrez Fendi as the union of the real and the refined that exists and coexists in symbiosis with the défilé. A FENDI color trend that includes unique white and yellow diamonds, Padparadscha sapphires, and green, orange, and pink spinels. The single proposal of pink spinels that make up the Undarum parure took forty years to assemble and will probably never again be replicated in nature. The element that defines the immense precious character of the collection has its greatest expression in the skillful embroidery techniques employed for the occasion that unite the worlds of fashion and jewelry. Models clutch their jewel-box minaudière in their hands and are literally strewn with jewel-like embellishments or covered with a layering of intricate sequins and stones.
“There is an emotional relationship that I have with the jewelry in the collection that I hope the women who will eventually wear it will have too.”
Thus, the intent of the work was to create a collection that came as close as possible to the unique femininity of an ambitious and sophisticated woman. The entire proposal has a direct and intimate relationship with the body, it becomes a true deep and personal representation of the woman and the female wardrobe. The show becomes the space for luxurious evening wear that is understated and self-conscious. The creative director’s vision for Fendi Haute Couture aims to achieve the aesthetic he has established by working on draped and swathed forms in a minimalist 1990s approach that meets echoes and cultural references of the statuesque and architectural appearance of ancient Rome, where Fendi is based.
