Kim Jones, the Artistic Director of FENDI Couture and Womenswear (Instagram) has created a vision focused on fluidity, drape, and shape, all infused with a modern attitude. Collaborating with Delfina Delettrez Fendi, Artistic Director of Jewellery for FENDI, the collection embodies the connection between fashion and high jewellery, creating an intimate relationship between the clothes and the wearer.
The concept of jewellery permeates the entire collection, even in the absence of actual accessories. The colour palette takes inspiration from both flesh tones and the hues of precious stones, such as black diamonds, rubies, and sapphires. Soft meets hard, flesh meets stone, resulting in a harmonious interplay that evokes a sense of elegance and sophistication.
“There is an emotional relationship that I have with the jewellery in the collection that I hope the women who will eventually wear it will have too,” says Delfina Delettrez Fendi, Artistic Director of Jewellery for FENDI. “There is an obsessive precision you need to make jewellery like this, such small objects that have such strength, meaning and personality. And yet, in the end, they have a direct and intimate relationship to the body; they are a profound and personal extension of the woman.”
Jones and the skilled artisans at the FENDI ateliers have seamlessly blended traditional couture techniques with a contemporary sensibility. The garments are light, voluminous, and fluid, offering a sense of ease and agency to the wearer. The collection eschews a rigid, costume-like approach in favor of softness and flexibility, with outer corset motifs and garments that can be worn in various ways, accentuating the suppleness of the designs.
While the collection appears simple at first glance, hidden intricacies abound. The emphasis lies in volume, drapery, and sculptural shapes achieved through meticulous pattern cutting. The garments often feature only a single seam, showcasing the craftsmanship and artistry behind the creations. The collection features second-skin silks, alongside single-piece intricate knits and draped, neoprene tailored furs and FENDI chevron feathered shearlings.
Delfina Delettrez Fendi’s high jewellery pieces beautifully complement the collection, extending the concept of couture to jewellery. Each one-of-a-kind piece exudes timeless elegance while embracing contemporary aesthetics. The FENDI color palette shines through with exceptional white and yellow diamonds, as well as vivid green, orange, and pink Padparadscha sapphires and spinels. The collection’s centerpiece, the ‘Undarum’ set featuring pink spinels, took forty years to assemble and is an irreplaceable natural marvel.
The intricate embroidery techniques employed in the collection serve as a bridge between the worlds of clothing and jewellery. Models adorned with jewel-like embellishments and layered tonal paillettes and stones captivate the audience, their minaudières serving as a precious treasure box. The final look, an awe-inspiring display of handwork, glimmers with a rose glow achieved through 1,200 hours of meticulous craftsmanship.
The show’s soundtrack, Klaus Nomi’s ‘The Cold Song,’ set the mood perfectly. Based on Henry Purcell’s English Baroque original, the music mirrors the emotional depth and precision of the collection and the couture experience itself. It is a testament to how the past can serve as a foundation for a daringly avant-garde present and future.
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