Kim Jones has come into his own at Fendi. The designer, who splits his time between the Italian fashion house and Dior, has now brought his signature to the Roman giant. For this Autumn Winter collection, Jones explores classicism and elegance through subtle subversion.
The collection is inspired by jeweller and designer Delfina Delettrez Fendi, and how she puts together her wardrobe and is so often wearing Fendi. The pieces play with binaries – the exploration and elevation of deconstruction, the interpolation of gendered archetypes, and the disturbance of ladylike sophistication.
Here, Jones has twisted masculine tailoring and traditional fabrics into feminine forms. The collection features several elements inspired by traditional utilitarianism – boilersuits, aprons and uniforms all make an appearance. Lace is layered and lacquered, while fetishism finds its form in slips that peek through, and thigh-high lace-up boots.
Punk inspires the knitwear elements. Felted wools are shrunk down, ribbed knits are unbuttoned, or worn askew. The key piece in the collection is the satin dress with a twisted drape and trailed by billowing scarves. “There’s a little nod to punk, and my admiration for DIY, but moved on to something chic,” said Jones. “The first day that Delfina walked into work, she was wearing blue and brown, and I thought she looked so great. There’s a chicness but perversity to the way she twists Fendi, which is what I love.”
The colour palette that Delfina wore on that first day is the same that dominated this collection. Sylvia Venturini Fendi would later mention that the colours were drawn from Delfina’s school uniform.
The AW/23 collection also saw the launch of a new IT bag. The brand launched the Fendi Multi, a new handbag that pays homage to the multipurpose sensibility that is so intrinsic to the house. “I think what is nice is the movement of the bag,” Sylvia Venturini Fendi said. “That duality is very Fendi – as is the idea of something which appears simple, but in reality, is very complex.” Other accessories, like jewellery, follow the same concept – the idea to create pure pieces which accentuate the sophistication of the collection. Designed by Delfina, the jewellery speaks to the very essence of Fendi.
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