It’s official: under the direction of Kim Jones and Kim Kardashian West, Skims and Fendi are collaborating. Earlier this month a series of images were leaked indicating that the two brands were indeed collaborating following months of rumors. Since, we’ve patiently waited for confirmation which arrived overnight in the form of a press release and suite of campaign images.
According to Fendi’s artistic director, the forthcoming collection is made for the “modern woman”.
“The idea for the collaboration came about when my team and I were sitting around a table at the studio in Rome,” explains Jones. “Suddenly, all the women went silent and started looking at their phones. I didn’t know what was going on, but they were waiting for the launch of the new SKIMS collection. It was then that I thought: let’s do something together.”
“Both Fendi and Skims have a cultural power very different from each other, but equally as strong,” reflects Kardashian West. “We share a desire to push boundaries, think differently and challenge convention which is why we found so much common ground collaborating on this collection together.”
The capsule is not merely a line of body-con dress and shapewear just emblazoned with co-branding. Instead, Jones pulled sketches from a Fendi archival collection first presented by Karl Lagerfeld in 1979 which placed a focal point on twisted tube tops, pop colors and tight sashes. Fendi x Skims combines the focus on fit and form that the intimates giant is known for, transporting it into both the past and present of the Fendi universe.
Velvet makes a triumphant return in 2021 by way of form fitting silhouettes, while a series of neutral shades are crafted into bonded leather dresses that draw upon Roman aesthetics to offer statuesque transformation (think Zendaya at the the Venice Film Festival).
Bold colors saturate contemporary beach and shapewear and a hybrid logo appears on reversible skin-tight jersey, embossed into knitwear, printed across underwear and hosiery and writ large across recycled nylon sportswear.
The collaboration also introduces an array of coveted Fendi accessories from the Peekaboo bag and Fendi First to the new Baguette Chain and signature Sunshine Shopper in 3D FF logo, available also in their Mini and Nano versions. For footwear, Fendi debuted a shearling hiking sandal imbued with a distinctly LA energy, alongside an array of new iterations of the Fendi First heel.
Jones and West are long-time friends. Rumours of the partnership were first sparked when the reality star embarked on a sartorial-fuelled trip to Rome earlier this year and attended the Fendi headquarters at the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana several times during her visit.
“Kim Jones and I have been close friends for years,” continues West, “I love his creative spirit and how he understands luxury in a way that makes total sense for how people want to dress. He works extremely hard, and as a workaholic myself, I recognize and admire the passion he puts into everything he does.”
The Fendi x Skims collaborative collection will launch on November 2, 2021 at 6.00am US – PST time, 9.00am US – EST time, 3.00pm Italy time, 9.00pm Asia-HK time and 12:00am on November 3 in AEDT on www.fendiskims.com.
