MANIFESTO

#61

ART NOW

A TRIBUTE TO FEMININITY

2022.09.22

Text by Lucrezia Sgualdino

Kim Jones, for Fendi’s spring/summer 2023 collection, reworks codes and values of the maison. What we see on the runway is a journey between an important luggage of history and an increasingly defined present. 

Kim Jones’ tale is a fresh and new perspective of a past rich in elements and feelings, that mixes with the present, and becomes future. In the collection’s development and ideation process, the designer traced the journey the brand itself has taken thanks to the work of many big names of the fashion world. The starting point was the work of Karl Lagerfeld, at the creative direction of Fendi from 1996 to 2002. “It’s about continuity,” says Jones, “I’m interested in looking at the things Karl did and seeing how we can develop them, both visually and technically.” The clothes, in their lines, patterns and colors, hark back to the early 2000s and represent a sophisticated blend of a simple but elegant minimalism and a bold eclecticism. 

“What particularly interests me about Fendi is exploring the notion of functional utility along with femininity-because Fendi women are strong women with full and busy lives.”

– Kim Jones

Color is the great strength, coral pink, cornflower blue and lime green. Vivid and vibrant hues that stand out among the neutral color palette. Material research embellishes every detail. Layers of technical organza and nylon jersey float across bodies while organic textures of cashmere, fur, shearling and leather give a textural sense to the looks. Layers of all these elements, contrasting or in perfect order and adorned with lacquered embroidery, offer a new ethereal dimension that is delicate, casual and refined. The accessories speak of practicality: raised sneakers and rubber platforms, lacquered or with fur bands; hard and soft bags combined with each other, with shapes clearly recalling architecture, carried by hand, on the shoulder, under the arm or like real jewels, on the wrist, around the neck, chained together or, again, clasped in one hand. The visual identity and skillful technique of the maison’s unparalleled savoir faire rethinks every minutia in a modern key. Practicality, luxury and sophistication in one image, a real and elegant efficiency that makes the collection interesting to discover and, above all, feminine. 

LOUIS VUITTON

GHESQUIÈRE OCTOBER 2014

2023.09.20

The GO-14 bag, an acronym for Ghesquière October 2014, originated as one of the first creations to mark the designer’s debut at the head of the Louis Vuitton Maison.

NEWS

On Foot

2023.09.19

The exhibition On Foot, curated by Jonathan Anderson at Offer Waterman Gallery, will bring contemporary artists in dialogue with works of modern British Art and some interventions conceived by the designer himself.

EXHIBITION

MODE ET SPORT. D'UN PODIUM À L'AUTRE

2023.09.18

Ahead of the 2024 Olympics, the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris presents Mode et Sport: from September 20th 2023 will be possible to discover the fascinating interconnections between fashion and sport from the ancient world to the present day.

V&A Museaum

FASHION MANIFESTO

2023.09.15

The first exhibition in the UK dedicated to the visionary couturier Gabrielle Coco Chanel – Gabrielle Chanel. Fashion Manifesto will open on September 16th 2023 at the Victoria & Albert Museum.

JEWELLERY

A BAG BECOMES JEWELLERY

2023.09.14

From September 13th, the Kelly by Hermès will be the star of an exhibition in the Milan boutique of Via Montenapoleone, where the Kellymorphose retrospective will be staged, boldly and surprisingly reinterpreting the brand’s iconic accessory in the world of jewellery.