A resolute femininity is threaded throughout Fendi’s Resort 2020 womenswear collection. Seeking a muse, creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi looked to Gloria, a culty ’80s thriller, for inspiration.
Gabardine Jacket. Price Upon Request. Gabardine Trouser. Price Upon Request. Karligraphy Cuban Heel Shoe. $1,190.
In the film, Gena Rowlands plays a determined gangster’s girlfriend who is strong and provocative, yet doesn’t shy away from her emotions. Using Rowlands’s character as a jumping off point, Fendi explores her multifaceted persona via a sophisticated collection.
Suiting silhouettes are lifted from the same decade as the film, flaunting stoic shoulder lines yet crafted in lightweight fabrics. Elongated blazers are matched with sharply pleated midi skirts featuring asymmetric hemlines that contribute to that plucky spirit. While deeply pleated pants reach to an ultra-high waist, with blouson tops tucked in for a touch of laissez-faire attitude.
The Fendi logo manifests itself in numerous subtle ways, whether through the double FF logo, black-and-brown Pequin stripes, or the late Karl Lagerfeld’s signature Karligraphy. Iconic bags include the Karligraphy Pocket and the Baguette, seen embossed and shrunken down in size.
Venturini Fendi’s Fall 2019 menswear collection offers its own take on power dressing. Contemporary tailoring cleverly embraces asymmetry, with half-and-half jackets boasting both shawl and notch lapels.
This refined eccentricity is underscored by the use of fabrications with lustre. Accessories like diagonally striped ties add a collegiate touch, and footwear gets contrasting soles for dandy appeal.
This season, the Fendi man is keen to use clothing as tool for self-expression. The Fendi woman is as strong as she is soft; therein lies her power.