Held in Rome, where Fendi was established in 1925, and attended by celebrities including Monica Bellucci, Jessica Alba and Chiara Ferragni, the show opened with the luxury brand's instantly recognisable black and cream stripes on sheer, diaphanous dresses and tunics.Reworked swirls and diagonals popped up throughout Chiuri's highly elegant collection, with satin and delicate sheer fabrics playing central roles and 1930s Art Deco elements such as silvery graphics making an appearance.
Swirls and diagonals popped up throughout the collection © Alberto PIZZOLI / AFP
Under the high white ceilings and marble columns of The National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, guests sipped prosecco and sampled hors d'oeuvres, some fanning themselves with their newly gifted Fendi-labelled raffia fans to battle the July humidity.A big night in the international fashion calendar and attended by Italy's minister of culture, Rome's mayor said the evening proved it wasn't just Milan causing fashion waves."Rome is increasingly establishing itself on the international fashion scene as one of the major fashion capitals," Mayor Roberto Gualtieri told AFP, calling Rome-born Chiuri an "extraordinary artist" and "top Roman."Museum-worthy fashionThe event also included a tribute to Lagerfeld, the German legend who for more than 50 years was creative director of the house before his death in 2019, with guests touring a reprise of his famous 1985 museum exhibition with Fendi."After steps through work. Fendi/Karl Lagerfeld 1985", which opens Friday to the public and runs through October 25, highlights the myriad creative processes that make up a Fendi garment, from original sketches and sample boards to patterns and toiles.
