The First of Many: A closer look at Kim Jones' first Fendi Haute Couture show

THE INSPIRATION

“Orlando, to whom fortune had given every gift, had only to open a book for the whole vast accumulation to turn to mist. So it was, and Orlando would sit by himself, reading.”

– Virginia Woolf, Orlando.

The above became the starting point to this fascinating collection one that resonated closely to Kim Jones himself as he grew up surrounded by influences of the Bloomsbury Group (a group of associated English writers, intellectuals, philosophers and artists including Virginia Woolf) – from living as a child close to Virginia Woolf’s home, Monk’s House, to after-school trips to the Bloomsbury Group’s communal habitat of Charleston Farmhouse.

Thus Kim Jones drew inspiration to create this show – one that marries the renegade British sensibility of the Bloomsbury Group with the Italian craftsmanship and heritage of the Fendi Maison. As if to tell his own story, the tale of Orlando by Virginia Woolf reflects his current fashion endeavour from man-to-woman.

THE MODELS

For his cast of models, Kim Jones did not just cast his closest muse and biggest stars. Bringing the idea of familial connectivity into the story, he cast contemporary counterparts and their family that he thinks mirror the sensibility of Virginia Woolf.

So, this cast included Kate Moss and her daughter Lila; Adwoa Aboah and her sister Kesewa; Silvia Fendi’s daughters Leonetta and Delfina Delettrez (who created the Murano glass jewellery for the collection); Christy Turlington and her nephew James (yes, there are also male muses, which is unavoidable when we refer to the story of Orlando).

Then, there were also those whom Kim Jones considered his close family members including Naomi Campbell (who closed the show) and Demi Moore (who is the first to who walked down the runway at  

THE STAGE

From Bloomsbury to Borghese, Kim Jones transported his creative vision into the Bourse, the Paris stock exchange, where the Fendi show was held.

But instead of just an extravagant and captivating stage (which is an impressive glass maze formed with interlocking Fs showcasing florals inspired by the Bloomsbury tale and giant Stone Pines trees which gives a nod to Rome), he brought forth a literary exhibition for the couture show, which is curated by Sammy Jay of Peter Harrington Rare Books, to showcase the connection between the Bloomsbury Group and Fendi’s Rome HQ.

The cabinets of literature wonder included the first-ever copy of Virginia Woolf’s Orlando, a rare first edition of resident Charlestonian TS Eliot’s The Waste Land and even an array of early books published by the Hogarth Press, which were hand-printed by Leonard and Virginia Woolf in small editions and bound in uniquely marbled or patterned paper covers.

The Fendi Spring/Summer 2021 show is not just a feast for the eyes but also for culture, love and mind.

THE COLLECTION

To say that this Fendi Spring/Summer 2021 couture collection is a love letter to all women is perhaps the most fitting description. As one who is joining hands with the powerful women of Fendi and his reference and love for creative women of all eras, the collection sends the message of romance and charisma.

Powerful, yet delicate; free-flowing, yet with construct and structure, the collection showcased the spectacular craftsmanship of the house of Fendi in the work of embroideries where coats are filled with delicate roses.

Dresses were like flowing rivers of satin and other precious fabrics that glides through the Fendi maze-like nymphs in the woods – magical. But the stars among stars within the collection would be the marble-like silhouettes that mirror the marbles floors of Rome. That sense of femininity that dances on tailored coats and majestic gowns (just look like Naomi's finale look) are simply irresistible.

See the full collection of haute couture looks in the gallery below: