For Fendi Couture FW22, creative director of womenswear Kim Jones sought to look beyond Rome, instead placing the ancient city in a global context. “In this collection, we are looking at fragments of different cities, namely Kyoto, Paris and Rome,” said Jones. “The fragmentary nature of things is echoed throughout the collection, like snatches of memory or the impression of things past, present and future.”
You’ll also enjoy:
Schiaparelli Fall/Winter Haute Couture 22/23 Finds Meaning In Beauty
Dior Fall Haute Couture 22/23 Weaves The Thread Between Myth & Reality
Fendi Haute Couture SS22 Goes Back To The Future
Recognising that well-crafted simplicity is often the ultimate luxury, the grandeur of couture is eschewed in favour of softer, lucid pieces that provide the women within them with a sense of ease and agency. The show opens with a trio of camel-hued looks; two tailored suits and a floor-length turtleneck dress with a split leg detail. The keenest of eyes will spot that the pieces are crafted from Vicuna — a South American camelid — fabric, a material that coasts up to ten times as much as cashmere and is closer to silver in price.
The movement towards a more approachable take on couture doesn’t mean splendour is shunned altogether. Pieces of kimono fabric from the 18th century serve as a foundation for recreations and reinterpretations in the collection. Kata Yuzen, a hand printing and painting technique is employed for these fabrics, which are made in Kyoto as traditional silk panels. Sliced and pieced together asymmetrically, they form floor-length dresses.
There’s an ongoing dialogue between East and West, masculine and feminine, traditional and modern throughout the collection. The Kata Yuzen dresses find their western counterparts in glittery crystal caged dresses that reflect the architectural spirit of Paris while moulding to the body.
Words by Arabella Johnson
