Fendi

HAUTE COUTURE SS23

FEBRUARY 2023

Text:
Mera Charles

To wrap up the Couture Fashion Weeks for 2023, Kim Jones’s Fendi showcased an ethereal display of Italian house's craftsmanship. The collection featured lingerie-inspired dresses and a subdued color scheme that accentuated the intricate leather and lacework. Slate grey and ivory "cobweb" dresses stole the spotlight as the most delicate and elegant gala ensembles of the week. By skillfully balancing the contrasts between hard and soft, natural and artificial, the artistic director's vision for the modern woman shone through.

Fendi's spring haute couture collection flowed serenely in shades of silver. Kim Jones, in his fifth season as artistic director, aimed to inject a sense of lightness into the typically heavy and staid world of couture. The result was a discreetly modernized take on statuesque goddess dressing, featuring slim silhouettes in pale, evanescent colors that were reminiscent of the sensibility of the '90s slip dress.

Jones has been working to establish Fendi's identity and build loyalty by continuing themes from previous collections rather than constantly changing things up. This season's collection was a response to clients' requests for evening dresses and a continuation of his fall couture offerings.

Fendi's heritage as an Italian leather and fur house was evident in the collection, as Jones used atelier techniques to finesse leather to look and drape like fabric. Trompe l'oeil expertise was on display in silvered dresses that overlaid printed lace patterns, which were actually leather decorated with scanned-in prints. Even the glinting "chain-mail" gloves were made using advanced couture techniques.

Jones layered delicate constructs of lace-edged silk bras and slips to create swoops and drapery that referenced the classical statuary of Rome. A draped dress worn by Julia Nobis in hammered silk folds was a nod to the essence of the 1930s genre. The result was a subtle and beautiful collection that exuded casual elegance, fit for any woman who can afford Fendi haute couture.