Being stuck at home means we're unable to enjoy many of the things which inspire, uplift and entertain us. So fashion, more than ever, feels like a form of escapism which can provide some much-needed beauty and joy. No more so than haute couture, still the pinnacle of the industry thanks to some of the most exquisite craftsmanship, which can currently be seen over in Paris, where designers are showcasing their spring/summer 2021 collections. The latest to do so was Fendi, a much-anticipated show given that it was Kim Jones' debut for the brand, having been announced as the new creative director back in September. And he certainly did not disappoint.
Naturally, the couture shows this season are still following a digital format that was established last year. This means that designers have chosen to make short films to present their collections, with Dior's Maria Grazia Chiuri even sending out miniature models of each couture look to her most valued clients.
Fendi, however, decided to stick with the traditional format of a show, only it was without the audience and live-streamed on Youtube. It can be difficult to generate excitement through such mediums but, thanks to a combination of achingly beautiful clothes and a seriously impressive cast of models, Fendi managed to make a virtual show (almost) as good as the real thing.
There were OG supermodels alongside the new generation; Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss appeared, as did Moss' daughter, Lila Grace, Bella Hadid, Adwoa Aboah and Cara Delevingne, as well as Demi Moore. All walked on a runway that was flanked by individual glass compartments, where each model inhabited their own space.
According to Fendi, this was to echo the overarching theme and inspiration which governed the collection: Virgina Wollf's_Orlando_– written as a love letter to Vita Sackville-Westand intended as one of the main themes of 2020's Met Gala– as well as lifestyle she led with the Bloomsbury Group. The glass 'vitrines', then, became a room of one's own.
Text from Orlando is inscribed onto Mother of Pearl minaudières and leather boots, while Jones also paid homage to the late Karl Lagerfeld with monograms taken from Lagerfeld’s final collection beaded onto boots.
Vanessa Bell, Woolf's sister and an artist in her own right, was also a major influence for Jones when creating this collection. 'I like how this family of people – and particularly these two pioneering sisters – moved things forward,' he said. 'I admire the way that they lived their lives, the freedom that they created for themselves and the art that they left behind for the world.' He referenced Bell's fascination with Italian Classicism in the form of hand-beaded tailoring, fluid silk gowns and woven jacquard fabrics.
For Jones, his cast of models represented the importance of family 'both real and chosen', as he said: 'Fendi represents artisanal quality of the highest order, and it is all about family. It is in its third generation with a Fendi at its helm, and I am guest starring while bringing in the fourth. Here, I am surrounded by strong, powerful women who I love and respect, and want to bring their energy into what I do.'
Accompanying the show is a literary exhibition or rare books and manuscripts, which includes the first ever copy of Orlando read by Sackville-West, specially bound with her initials stamped in gold and inscribed by Woolf: 'Mrs Harold Nicolson is the ‘Orlando’ of Miss Rebecca West’s remarkable book of that name.' As Fendi explained: 'Their love letters to one another, since collated, published, and now read aloud by Fendi friends and family throughout Max Richter’s composition for the show, document Sackville-West’s reflections thus on the text: “I can’t say anything except that I am completely dazzled, bewitched, enchanted, under a spell.”
These days, we are starved of magic in all its forms. How lovely, then, to be under Fendi's spell – even just for a few moments.
SEE: The Highlights From Paris Couture Week
1 of 7Viktor & Rolf
Viktor & Rolf's collection was a love letter to the underground rave scene and 'inspired by parties that were and parties to come'. The looks were purposely given a slightly haphazard feel, as if hurried party-goers had grabbed garments from a pile and assembled their looks in haste to get out the door, and made use of the house's stock of archive materials, including fragments of vintage dresses and sweatshirts. NH
2 of 7Fendi
For Kim Jones's debut as creative director at Fendi, the designer proved that a live-streamed show can almost be as spine-tingling as sitting front row at the real thing. There were OG supermodels alongside the new generation; Christy Turlington, Naomi Campbell and Kate Moss appeared, as did Moss' daughter, Lila Grace, Bella Hadid, Jourdan Dunn, Adwoa Aboah and Cara Delevingne. All walked on a runway that was flanked by individual glass compartments, where each model inhabited their own space. According to Fendi, this was to echo the overarching theme and inspiration which governed the collection: Virginia Woolf's Orlando – written as a love letter to Vita Sackville-West and intended as one of the main themes of 2020's Met Gala – as well as lifestyle she led with the Bloomsbury Group. These days, we are starved of magic in all its forms. How lovely, then, to be under Fendi's spell – even just for a few moments. HBW
3 of 7Armani Privé
In a usual year at the Cannes Film Festival, Armani Privé would get its second catwalk show of the year as actors swooshed down the red carpet wearing its gowns. That might not be on the cards in 2021, but Giorgio Armani still has form when it comes to frocks that demand both drama and an audience. He also, perhaps aware that opportunities for eveningwear are few and far between at the moment, provided his customer with some slightly more off-duty options, with several pairs of velvet trousers that would be make a smart substitute to whatever you've been wearing to work from home. Aware that the rarified world of couture is usually only open to a select few, Armani recognised the benefits of a digital-only showing in his show notes: 'Couture is rooted in fashion history. It represents the pinnacle of creativity and sartorial skill, but is a world available to only very few. Today, through the democracy of the internet, we are able to offer a front row seat to everyone.' NH
4 of 7Valentino
If you thought a global pandemic could kill off the heel, Pierpaolo Piccioli has two words for you: 'think again'. For his latest couture collection for Valentino, Code Temporal, the designer paired almost every look - and there were a whopping 73 of them - with statuesque platform stilettos in magpie metallics. Having said that, he did explore a slightly more down-to-earth mode of dressing. Alongside the princess-shaped gowns and opera gloves, he also presented garments that mere mortals like us have probably been wearing a lot of over the past few months - polo necks, trench coats, sweater vests and knit dresses in the dreamiest palette of pastels, neutrals and the occasional neon. NH
5 of 7Giambattista Valli
When it comes to spectacle and gowns that have real swoosh, Giambattista Valli is always one of the most hotly-anticipated shows on the couture schedule. Yesterday's video was no exception. Models wearing the most breath-taking dresses, with hair that blossomed with bows and flowers, twirled next to a dancer. 'The presence of the dancer embodies the idea of a messenger of Olympus who seeks to unveil memories, new emotions and spirits in the soul of the Valli creature,' read the show notes. NH
6 of 7Iris Van Herpen
Iris Van Herpen found inspiration from the natural world for her spring couture collection, partnering with Parley for the Oceans, an organisation that raises awareness about the beauty and fragility of our oceans, to use recycled plastics for the first time. Speaking to Vogue, Van Herpen said that the quality of sustainable materials is now so good that it's a matter of making the decision to switch: 'Basically, there's not a lot of reason not to use sustainable materials anymore, other than changing your mindset,' she says. NH
7 of 7Schiaparelli
For his third couture collection for Schiaprelli, Daniel Roseberry wanted to pay homage to the tradition of couture, while also exploding the clichés associated with the genre by introducing silhouettes and garments like bomber jackets and trousers. A a great innovator and technician, Elsa Schiaparelli made garments that, according to show notes, 'celebrate the joy of peacocking, the joy of showing off'. Roseberry's ab-tastic corsets, and his padlock-shaped minaudière, are surely a tribute to that kind of show-boating ingenuity. NH