For his debut collection for luxury Italian fashion house Fendi, Kim Jones has turned his eye to the uniquely British sensibility of the artistic Bloomsbury Group while simultaneously paying homage to the history of the Roman maison. Fendi Couture SS21 derives its inspiration from the liberated minds of sisters Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell, merging these with the enduring appeal of Italian sculpture and Fendi’s couture DNA.
“Memory is the seamstress, and a capricious one at that,” wrote Virginia Woolf in Orlando, her biographical novel wherein the titular character changes genders, living for centuries as a woman. Jones borrows from the time-transcending, binary-bending novel, with femininity and masculinity appearing in Fendi Couture SS21 as fluid concepts rather than set realities.
Motifs from a letter written by Virginia Woolf to Vita Sackville-West are sprinkled throughout the collection, in the form of metal-bound book clutches or as text inscribed into leather boots and mother of pearl minaudiéres. Jones also looks to the Charleston farmhouse -the Sussex home of the Bloomsbury Group – for inspiration, paying homage to the literary set by adapting the Vanessa Bell and Duncan Grant frescoes that decorate the farmhouse’s walls into embroidered embellishments on gowns, as well as in the form of hand-painted heels and ornately beaded boots.
Mother of pearl adorned gowns, sheer shirting, and relaxed tailoring are reflective of a contemporary take on a bygone era. A gown that blends detailed embellishments with half a blazer is particularly reminiscent of the way Woolf plays with gender in Orlando (not to mention a more high fashion take on a half suit, half dress look Katy Perry once wore a decade ago).
Kim Jones also places emphasis on the notion of family, both real and chosen. Fendi’s family of choice? Noted stars of our era, including Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss and her daughter Lila Grace Moss, Bella Hadid, Cara Delevingne, Adwoa Aboah, Christy Turlington, and Demi Moore. “Fendi represents artisanal quality of the highest order, and it is all about family,” said Jones. “Here, I am surrounded by strong, powerful women who I love and respect, and want to bring their energy into what I do.”
Words by T. Angel
