Fendi Forward

At-once pragmatic and playful, Kim Jones’s spring-summer collection for Fendi exudes a quiet confidence that’s all about the wearer. “It is about women who dress for themselves and their own lives, I see it with Silvia [Venturini Fendi] and Defina [Delettrez Fendi] all of the time,” says Jones. “It’s not about the spectacle of being looked at but the reality of wearing and the confidence and chicness that comes within it.”

For that, we accompany Jones to the streets of Rome. “When I am in Rome, every day I walk from the hotel to the Colosseum wearing my ear pods. It’s like listening to a soundtrack to an imaginary film with FENDI characters I see along the way. In Rome, there is an elegance in ease and not caring what anybody else thinks - that is real luxury.” There is a softness to the silhouettes and fabrics that reflect this, from the finest kid mohair and silks that sheathed the body to generous tailing, while colour and print are graphic and strong. The life hacks are in the details, from the “technical” gloves that you can type in to the metal anklet ballet shoes with a studded bottom for grip.

Recurring codes and motifs from Fendi past are present, including the abstract exploration of the FF logo found in colour-blocked intarsia leathers and structured, strapless knit dresses. Accessories feature the familiar Selleria stitch tie, initially crafted by Roman master saddlers, seen in the debuted Fendi Flip bag (a shopper that folds into a clutch) and in the Fendi Filo jewellery collection by Delfina Delettrez Fendi.