Friskily young, refining the trends: Fendi Womenswear Fashion Show SS 23

January 5, 2023

Sick, although in a good way. It is the only possible answer to the combat pants with double F material suspenders in silky technical fabric, sporty ribbed knits, lacquered embroidery overlay, so playful and practical at the same time from the Fendi SS23 women’s fashion show. It might not be an everyday outfit, but put on the fashion goggles and you’ll instantly see just the right number of eye-catching features to qualify it as ideally fashion-forward.
Fendi is a long-standing, serious Roman fur and leather house, but Kim Jones recently had some fun with it all – paying homage to the past while adding a futuristic edge to every fabric. “I’m interested in looking at the things Karl has done and seeing how we can develop them – both visually and technically,” Jones says.
With this, Jones focused on an earth-toned modernist silhouette, yet de-compartmentalised with the hints of bright green, vibrant pink and blue that ran throughout the collection. He made enough of a statement to wear the collection, but, as always, the real news content was the shape of the Peekaboo bags with chained straps for the very first time. Trendy bags have been reimagined in miniature Fendi First bags, draped in thinner chains and easily usable as jewelry. Well, a Fendi bag is a gem, sleek and statement-making with the logo first introduced in 2000 that served to anchor the collection in the past, but revamped for today.
Much of the collection has been cut in barely dyed but beautifully embroidered layers of technical organza and nylon jersey. “At FENDI, I am constantly thinking about practicality as well as luxury,” Jones says. “Adding heavy material to something very soft both gives it real functionality and makes it interesting.”
The mostly neutral silhouettes were cut with narrow ruffled panels, textured with what looked like a peek at worn or dust-spattered fabrics and loose edges. Of course, it wasn’t that at all. Sleek satin grounded by elevated tennis shoes or rubber platforms formed the steady forward approach. Somewhere in the design of this collection, Jones struck a dynamic balance between confronting the current vibe and creating a modern proposition for that problematic word “luxury”. But Fendi lovers will appreciate that these Fendi releases are, in a sense, originals.
Experience and technical expertise count here. Jones, after all, sailed well and knows how to calibrate a response.