Kim Jones Presents His First Couture Line for Fendi by Aybuke Barkcin

Dear Shaded Viewers,

This season’s much anticipated haute couture show by Kim Jones for Fendi is finally here.

Jones arrives at Fendi after the passing of Karl Lagerfeld who held the position of Artistic Director for Womenswear at Fendi for 54 years and rather than travelling around the world and gathering inspirations, for his first collection Jones decided to look internally, “This first collection feels almost autobiographical. What I’m referencing feels really personal.” he explained in an interview with Vogue. The result was 19 looks inspired by the Bloomsbury Group in Charleston, Sussex close to where the designer spent most of his childhood.

The show was presented as a Fendi maze made of glass held in the Palais Brongniart with a star studded runway including Jones’s close friends Naomi Campbell, Kate Moss, Bella Hadid, Cara Delevingne, Christy Turlington and Demi Moore… A great choice of cast for a digital presentation that needs much attention from social media channels, but I must admit, it was distracting staying focused on what the models were wearing while wondering which star was going to come out next.

The collection was paying homage to Virginia Woolf’s gender-blurring novel “Orlando”. It felt poetic, feminine, romantic… touching the reality of what women expect of couture. Luxurious in a restrained and quiet manner that still pays respect to the heritage of Fendi and the deeply encoded values of family.  The half suit dress worn by Adwoa Aboah was based on a sketch by Karl Lagerfeld found in the Fendi archives and majority of the cast who walked the show, the designer considered as part of his fashion family. The collection also featured men’s couture which was harmonised with sensuality, further exploring the depths of gender fluidity. Though all the 19 looks were different, I must confess, the shall-collar coat decorated with rose pedals and the statement oversized earrings immediately reminded me of the iconic Italian designer Romeo Gigli.

“Fendi is all about family … I am surrounded by strong, powerful women who I love and respect, and want to bring their energy into what I do.” said Jones. With such a small collection, though it is difficult to make out the designer’s vision on womenswear, we are hungry to see what he comes up with next.

Aybuke Barkcin

Aybüke Barkçin is an art director, photographer, curator and writer that looks at fashion through the lens of political and societal dynamics. She completed her master's Creative Direction in POLIMODA, Italy and has a background in International Relations and Graphic Design. Her work can be found in her website: https://www.aybukebarkcin.com/