Maria Grazia Chiuri's Fendi Is Back, and It's a Bit More Rock 'n' Roll Than We Remember
Maria Grazia Chiuri's unveiled her highly anticipated collection at Fendi. Don't call it a debut; call it a comeback. The designer, who helmed Dior for nine years, is back at the Italian house she previously designed for from 1988 to 1999.
As one of the only female creative directors in fashion right now, Chiuri said she wanted to pay homage to the heritage of Fendi's five sisters—Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla, and Alda—the daughters of the brand's founders who took over in 1946.
Chiuri worked under them, and while today marks a new chapter in Milan, she wanted to acknowledge where the Fendi book started.
Less I, More Us
The show notes for the show were titled Less I, More Us, and that line was repeated throughout. The first line read, "Less I, more us. Maria Grazia Chiuri’s motto for this, her first collection for Fendi." The phrase is "a declaration of intent that is more necessary than ever today in order to reaffirm the complexity of the fashion system: the values of working together, of shared intentions and desires, the importance of understanding and acceptance of others, of the world around us."
The idea of acceptance also came through in the final song with a bold refrain that welcomes judgment but doesn't seem bothered by it: “Say what you want.” It felt as though Chiuri was sending a message to the masses she knew would be watching today.
The Fendi Girl Goes Rock 'n' Roll
Last season's collection was notably colorful, from it's peekaboo bags to organza dresses. Even the runway was multicolored. It felt like a futuristic kaleidoscope. Chiuri's collection was almost entirely black. Models wore sheer dresses, lace tops, high knee socks, and loafers. They wore furry black collars and lapels. It appears that the new Fendi will feel a bit more serious and rock 'n' roll than previously.
An Homage as Accessory and Double Bags as Necessity
A handful of looks featured a necklace that looked like the collar of a button-down top that had been removed from its shirt. It was a clear homage to Karl Lagerfeld and also another indication that the shorter necklace style, which was popular in the 2010s, might be making a comeback.
It wasn't the only accessory that made a statement. When models wore a Fendi bag, they were more often than not also wearing it with another bag. They were double-bagging it with a Fendi baguette swinging alongside a Fendi tote. This kind of nonsensical but fun styling has been percolating for a while, but maybe this season Chiuri can encourage it to stick.
