News feed
In Milan, Kim Jones explores complexity and comfort for FENDI’s Fall/Winter 2024 show, where Britain’s rebellious coteries meet the lightness of Romanian liberties. 1984 was actually the inspiration for the creative director, not in an Orwellian sense, but in a treasure trove of sketches from the house’s archives that reminded Jones of London’s disparate subcultures.
“You had the Blitz Kids, the New Romantics, the adoption of workwear, aristocratic style, Japanese style,” he recalls. “It was a point when British subcultures and styles became global and absorbed global influences. Yet still with a British elegance in ease and not giving a damn what anybody else thinks.”
Speaking of the FENDI woman, Jones praises Silvia Venturini Fendi for being his North Star. “I remember when I first met Silvia Venturini Fendi, she was wearing a very chic utilitarian suit—almost a Safari suit. That fundamentally shaped my view of what FENDI is: it is how a woman dresses that has something substantial to do. And she can have fun while doing it.”
Coming together in an amalgam of juxtaposing insights, the result of his varied inspirations is a collection of theatrical simplicity, where function becomes a statement, and luxury is ease.
Rigorous tailoring plays on curves, empowering feminine shapes rather than masking them in menswear cuts, while outerwear is relaxed and belted in an opulent fashion. Modular knits sporadically hug the body like a second skin, injecting pops of colour throughout the collection. Adding to this contrast, utilitarian silhouettes are composed with a flou elegance and ethereal quality, balanced by chunky accessories and playfully mixed textures.
Fabrication is a focal point with diaphanous chiffon punctuated with embroidery, high-shine waxed finishes, wild shearling and fluid leather. In blending these conflicting sentiments, Jones reflects a division familiar to the world we inhabit now; only his take celebrates duality and reveres the interplay between past and present. Somehow, this motley of influences come together with cogency. Fresh and modern, with old codes quietly singing out in Selleria stitching and Roman statuary motifs printed on tulle and organza.
On the accessories front, Jones’ muse and house artistic director of jewellery, Delfina Delettrez Fendi, delivered eyewear that followed on from the Haute Couture show last month and a slew of oversized bangles and chain chokers. Bags designed by Venturini Fendi, past styles like the ‘Peekaboo’, ‘Baguette’, and ‘By The Way’ are deconstructed, softened and reconfigured—eschewing embellishment for a more tactile feel. New styles in the ‘Simply FENDI’, a soft satchel, and the ‘Roll’ bag, a round shopper tote, are adorned in various ways, illustrating the versatility of the FENDI woman.
