London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Saturday, Feb 22, 2025

At Fendi, Kim Jones Breathes New Life Into the Baguette

At Fendi, Kim Jones Breathes New Life Into the Baguette

The artistic director dove into the Fendi archives for his fall 2022 inspiration, reinterpreting some of the house's most storied classics.

Kim Jones had Rome on his mind when designing the fall 2022 Fendi collection. Specifically: the imagery of Delfina Delettrez walking into the label’s Roman headquarters donning a printed top she plucked directly from her mother ​​Silvia Venturini Fendi’s wardrobe. Given Jones’s history with taking influence from Fendi’s home city, this source of inspiration wasn’t too surprising. But the subtle influence of the brand’s archives—plus a really great take on geometric prints that felt at once soft and strong—still made a major impression.

Jones looked to the glitzy Fendi archives for more, diving deep into the Italian fashion house’s spring 1986 and fall 2000 lines specifically. The latter collection, designed by Jones’s predecessor Karl Lagerfeld, provided ample inspiration when it came to prints. There were gossamer-sheer pants paired with matching tops and gloves with an inherently Italian Memphis-like print, for instance. That same print was rendered on tops that fell ever-so-slightly off the shoulder.

“It brings me directly to the history of my family,” Silvia Venturini Fendi said of the inspiration behind the prints. “I saw these prints on myself; Kim saw them on Delfina. What interests me the most about fashion is when it isn’t something just for the moment—and with Fendi, that is always the case, because it is never banal. There is always a story behind each piece, something a little different.”






The collection was marked by a pointed focus on all things utilitarian. Gray tweed dresses and cognac-hued leather blazers were updated with softness and lightness: a detachable tailored gilet here, a pocketed belt that you could slide your phone into there. Shirting material turned into feminine corsets by way of tailoring, and The O’Lock print from the fall 2022 men’s collection took flight on the thin, silky slipdresses that closed the show.






Of course, it wouldn’t be a Fendi show without a focus on the bags. The classic baguette style has been enjoying a bit of a cultural revival as Gen Z discovers it for the first time on popular resale shopping apps—plus, the purse played a starring role on the Sex and the City reboot And Just Like That in late 2021 (it also happens to be the bag’s 25th anniversary). So in turn, the brand delivered on its promise of giving us new versions to covet: three re-editions in cashmere, shearling-lined leather, and intarsia mink.






There’s something to say about the brand reclaiming Rome as a fashion capital, too. Sure, most people consider Milan as the center of Italian fashion—after all, the shows are hosted at Milan Fashion Week—but each time Jones presents a new version of his take on the ancient city, we can more clearly see its aesthetic power. It’s refined and a little more subdued than Milanese style, but it certainly doesn’t lack strength or severity. These pieces are made for real life; and when taken away from the runway styling, could be imagined as everyday life-wear—whether that manifests in the elegant wool coat or precision-tailored blazer.

Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Good News: Senate Confirms Kash Patel as FBI Director
Officials from the U.S. and Hungary Engage in Talks on Economic Collaboration and Sanctions Strategy
James Bond Franchise Transitions to Amazon MGM Studios
Technology Giants Ramp Up Lobbying Initiatives Against Strict EU Regulations
Alibaba Exceeds Quarterly Projections Fueled by Growth in Cloud and AI
Tequila Sector Faces Surplus Crisis as Agave Prices Dive Sharply
Residents of Flintshire Mobile Home Park Grapple with Maintenance Issues and Uncertain Future
Ronan Keating Criticizes Irish Justice System Following Fatal Crash Involving His Brother
Gordon Ramsay's Lucky Cat Restaurant Faces Unprecedented Theft
Israeli Family Mourns Loss of Peace Advocate Oded Lifschitz as Body Returned from Gaza
Former UK Defense Chief Calls for Enhanced European Support for Ukraine
Pope Francis Admitted to Hospital in Rome Amid Rising Succession Speculation
Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, at the age of 83, Declares His Retirement.
Whistleblower Reveals Whitehall’s Focus on Kabul Animal Airlift Amid Crisis
Politicians Who Deliberately Lie Could Face Removal from Office in Wales
Scottish Labour Faces Challenges Ahead of 2026 Holyrood Elections
Leftwing Activists Less Likely to Work with Political Rivals, Study Finds
Boris Johnson to Host 'An Evening with Boris Johnson' at Edinburgh's Usher Hall
Planned Change in British Citizenship Rules Faces First Legal Challenge
Northumberland Postal Worker Sentenced for Sexual Assaults During Deliveries
British Journalist Missing in Brazil for 11 Days
Tesco Fixes Website Glitch That Disrupted Online Grocery Orders
Amnesty International Critiques UK's Predictive Policing Practices
Burglar Jailed After Falling into Home-Made Trap in Blyth
Sellafield Nuclear Site Exits Special Measures for Physical Security Amid Ongoing Cybersecurity Concerns
Avian Influenza Impact on Seals in Norfolk: Four Deaths Confirmed
First Arrest Under Scotland's Abortion Clinic Buffer Zone Law Amidst International Controversy
Meghan Markle Rebrands Lifestyle Venture as 'As Ever' Ahead of Netflix Series Launch
Inter-Island Ferry Services Between Guernsey and Jersey Set to Expand
Significant Proportion of Cancer Patients in England and Wales Not Receiving Recommended Treatments
Final Consultation Launched for Vyrnwy Frankton Power Line Project
Drug Misuse Deaths in Scotland Rise by 12% in 2023
Failed £100 Million Cocaine Smuggling Operation in the Scottish Highlands
Central Cee Equals MOBO Awards Record; Bashy and Ayra Starr Among Top Honorees
EastEnders: Four Decades of Challenging Social Norms
Jonathan Bailey Channels 'Succession' in Bold Richard II Performance
Northern Ireland's First Astronaut Engages in Rigorous Spacewalk Training
Former Postman Sentenced for Series of Sexual Offences in Northumberland
Record Surge in Anti-Muslim Hate Crimes Across the UK in 2024
Omagh Bombing Inquiry Concludes Commemorative Hearings with Survivor Testimonies
UK Government Introduces 'Ronan's Law' to Combat Online Knife Sales to Minors
Metal Detectorists Unearth 15th-Century Coin Hoard in Scottish Borders
Woman Charged in 1978 Death of Five-Year-Old Girl in South London
Expanding Sinkhole in Godstone, Surrey, Forces Evacuations and Road Closures
Bangor University Announces Plans to Cut 200 Jobs Amid £15 Million Savings Target
British Journalist Charlotte Peet Reported Missing in Brazil
UK Inflation Rises to 3% in January Amid Higher Food Prices and School Fees
Starmer Defends Zelensky Amidst Trump's 'Dictator' Allegation
Zelensky Calls on World Leaders to Back Peace Efforts in Light of Strains with Trump
UK Prime minister, Mr. Keir Starmer, has stated that any peace agreement aimed at ending the conflict in Ukraine "MUST" include a US security guarantee to deter Russian aggression
×