Dear Shaded Viewers,
The official schedule of FHCM and the couture shows is the first calendar layout of couture. Even then, some strong names are showing their collections off this schedule such as Didit Hediprasetyo, Georges Chakra and Tony Ward. This season skipping Paris, Gaurav Gupta unveiled his couture “Light Sing” in Mumbai several days after Paris ended on the 17th of July, whilst as another example of how extended this all is in reality, we get days of Dolce e Gabanna. They were showing their couture Alta Moda and Alta Sartoria for both men and women and their high jewellery in Taormina, Sicily between July 12th and the 16th.
Some names also skip seasons even with the FHCM and the rules, and expectations can be much confused. In Paris this season several people didn’t show including On Aura Tout Vu, but they are back in January 2027, Julian Fournie, and some others, but some names also disappear such as Alexandre Vauthier. The wonderful Beirut based couturier Rabih Kayrouz shows privately and deals directly with his clients, whilst this season Valentino showed in Rome. The couturier Giambattista Valli has repurchased his namesake house and is in the business of consolidating his future. Some designers don’t see the need to show every season such as Pham Huy or Miss Sohee, or show elsewhere, there was a Maison Margiela show in Shanghai earlier in the year, whilst Thom Browne has skipped for two years and Charles de Vilmorin seems to be working on many other great creative projects away from couture. I personally miss the incredibly special couture of Maison Sara Chraibi and hope she plans a return to the schedule soon. Also, there is always talk which often centres around prestige houses returning to couture and rumours, indeed hot gossip, abounds regarding Saint Laurent and others.
But overriding all this, this season we had a discrete but fabulous entry into the roundabout of shows and names – Fendi Couture created by Maria Grazia Chiuri. For several years Karl Lagerfeld showed Fendi couture in Paris, he was the designer at the house for fifty four years from 1965 until his death in 2019, so it’s “home” isn’t set in stone. This is exactly like Valentino or Versace who straddle the cities, and Haute Couture offers flexibility in location, even allowing the workrooms to up thimbles and work in different ateliers in Paris. So Fendi held this debut show on July 9th at Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea in Rome.
Originally from Rome, with her years at Valentino and Dior, Maria Grazia spans Franco-Italian style effortlessly, but also retains her own signatures and approach to fashion. Her restraint balanced by deep romanticism has integrity and beauty at its heart. Spectacular over produced shows, exaggerated tricks of construction and front page grabbing vulgarity have no place in her work. This historically important debut has not made huge headlines internationally, perhaps many failed to see it’s significance, or knowing there were unlikely to be either a feast of celebrities or massive show tricks, felt it undeserving of their attention.
Just as a side note I would mention that Sarah Jessica Parker, Jessica Alba, Valeria Golino, Valeria Bruni Tedeschi, Tang Yan, Ko Shibasak, Monica Bellucci, Danny Ramirez, Chiara Ferragni, Victoria Luengo, Anna Ferzetti, Yara Shahidi, Keira Knightly and Ashley Park were all in attendance at the show.
In trying to place Maria Grazia and her Fendi attitude I searched for comparisons. This debut collection seems to me closer to the work of Mary-Jane and Kate Olsen at The Row, who incidentally, launched twenty one years ago as a home for the perfect white T-shirt, than a Rome extravaganza. Perhaps also there is something in common with Ralph Rucci, the uniquely special great American couturier who has shown at Paris couture, or 1980’s designer Zoltan and even something of the current aesthetic of Hermes, or Hermes with Martin Margiela. It a special attitude towards luxury fashion and haute couture that belongs in its own category, not just pushed into the calendar and schedule amongst the rest.
The monochrome colour palette, the exquisite detailing, and the perfectly balanced mix of sharp and soft announced a clean, modern, realistic approach to the couture wardrobe. Indeed, a return to couture as a wardrobe rather than merely evening wear. The perfect ivory shirt, superbly cut trousers, caftan and simple fluid cover ups, chic blazers, and then late day to cocktail looks in Chantilly lace. A soft tabard coat in black and cream was actually entirely seamed to create an op art pattern, La e was layered on silk mousseline as though no human hand had touched it, cascades of ferns on a cape, ruched silken ribbons, beaded golden mesh or Art Deco embroideries all whispered couture but never shouted to grab the viewers attention. It is the art of the subtle, the discrete, plus its beauty for all seasons, to wear and store, to wear again, to cherish and love. Indeed, I would say love for the craft of the workrooms was underlying the collections, an understanding of what might be done with care, and focus, and attention. From the buttons on the cuffs of an ivory jacket to the fluttering hem of a floor length gown this collection was perfect. Of course, not for everyone, of course not to be dissected by the influencers or the highly vocal social media fashion authorities, for two reasons. Firstly, it requires in depth analysis and understanding of fashion and construction, and secondly, there’s no loud theme or tricks to either pick up and applaud or disparage.
It is all about beautiful clothes for international clients who lead luxury lives. It’s true investment dressing and also it is reassuring and perhaps “safe” in a world gone mad in climate, politics, and technology.
To those who have never understood Maria Grazia Chiuri as a designer, her engagement by a house whose heritage and story is a story of sisters, would never be obvious. It’s a partnership and collaboration of women designing and creating for women, it’s about clothes that work across a huge range of women in ages, background, culture and lifestyle, and who want to look good but also want to feel good in the clothes. It is a delicate trick; it is a lightness of hand, and it is magic.
Tony Glenville
