There is something rather sweet about how Kim Jones – the current womenswear director at Fendi – works. While the current meta in fashion appears to be newly installed creative directors opting to override their brand’s vision in favour of their own, Jones prefers instead to continue to pay homage to Fendi’s history. That of course includes his predecessor, the late Karl Lagerfeld, who presided at the Roman house for more than 50 years.
Case in point: Jones’ latest collection, the starting point of which took inspiration from Lagerfeld’s work at Fendi – particularly from the era of 1996 to 2002. Even if you are no fashion history academic, the vibes from Jones’ collection clearly took on a more youth-oriented, Y2K-heavy direction than his previous outings for the house (the recent anniversary show for the maison’s Baguette bag aside). Think slouchy cargo pants paired with skin-tight mesh tops, sporty tank dresses and stompy platform mules that Dua Lipa types will be lapping up.
Kim Jones put a contemporary spin on several of Fendi’s archival motifs, first designed by Karl Lagerfeld during his tenure at the maison.
“It’s about continuity. I am interested in looking at things that Karl has done, and seeing how we can develop them – both visually and technically,” explains Jones. To that end, he took a floral print from Fendi’s archive, as well as the house’s famous double-F logo – both created by Lagerfeld – and meshed them up across sheer racerback tank tops and dresses (pictured) for a luxuriously sporty effect that is utterly Kim Jones.
Ahead, a quick look at some of the collection’s highlights.