FENDI pays homage to John Cassevetes’ 1980 cult thriller, Gloria, in their Resort 2020 collection. Gloria Swenson, the title character played by Cassevetes’s then wife, Gena Rowlands, is a figure who embodies the Fendi woman – she is audacious yet delicate, emotional yet strong. By incorporating the past into 2019, Silvia Venturini Fendi designs a collection where feminine style is not a fixed identity but one that defies a singular definition.
Inspired by the style of the late seventies and early eighties, Fendi does not stray away from using bold contrasting patterns and prints. Horizontal stripes and micro patterns merge to create strong and seductive silhouettes, further exemplified by many of the piece’s tailored lapels and collars. Colourful and captivating, the line boasts an eccentric mixing of pieces. Longline blazers pair delightfully with high-waisted midi skirts that showcase deceitful thigh-high slits.
The deep reds and moody blues do not weigh the collection down but actually provide a certain lightness to the line, aided by the weightlessness effect of the collection’s several sheer stockings, silky blouses, and safari jackets. Each look is completed by the addition of an eye-catching accessory, a red bucket hat or a tied hair bow further highlight the collection’s playful sophistication.
The collection marks Fendi’s first line without the guidance of the late Karl Lagerfeld, however the fashion house continues to honour Lagerfeld’s memory through the incorporation of his signature Karligraphy – the curling double-F monogram created from his own script. Lagerfeld created this now classic logo as a print for Fendi in 1981 and it continues to be a featured embellishment in their resort wear today, the monogram is printed discreetly but consistently on several pieces of the collection, from silk pleated skirts to mink coats and python trench coats.
The bag lineup offers structure to match with the line’s more eccentric touches. The classic style of the Fendi Peekaboo and Baguette designs show-off the structural benefit that hand-crafted leather bags create. From muted pink and sorbet shades to deeper tones of black, blue and reds, even the differing colour palettes emphasise a duplicity in style.
by Mirabella Shahidullah