Fendi has never shied away from eclecticism or experimentation. For Resort, the mix was peppered with soft tailoring freshened up with a sweet sense of color. Building on the Fall show’s vibe, the dynamic between masculine and feminine was given an even more energized twist; sharp-cut blazers with nipped waists were paired with cigarette-pant/pleated-skirt hybrids, which looked pretty cool in their eccentric versatility. But that was just the start of things.
At Fendi, the exceptional has a feel of nonchalance. Take for instance Karl Lagerfeld’s vast collection of snow-white antique linens and linge de maison, meticulously embroidered and starched to stiff perfection. These handkerchiefs and tablecloths were mutated into immaculate collars or cuffs on ankle-grazing, delicately pleated silk dresses, or regenerated into elaborate, flowery intarsias on baby pink shaved mink fur coats, and the results were not preposterous, but rather delightfully quaint.
And why don’t you . . . wear sturdy, bold cowboy boots in shiny gold leather, pairing them with a boardroom-ready, micro-checkered tailored skirtsuit in a delicate macaron shade of baby blue? Or wrap yourself luxuriously into a phantasmagoric, eye-popping lobster-pink fur coat, densely embroidered and hand-cut into tiny circular motifs, with huge patched utility pockets, as if it were the simplest, I-just-throw-it-on-and-off-I-go kind of bathrobe-inspired overcoat for the everyday? Before rushing out the door, just remember to grab the new Flip bag, practical as a tote and sumptuously pared-down as a messenger. This style of efficient opulence is not for the faint of heart, surely; but the Fendi woman is definitely powerful and confident enough to rise to the challenge.
