Kim Jones Makes His RTW Debut At Fendi With An Ode To His Predecessors

It’s a new dawn, it’s a new day, and Kim Jones is feeling good. The British designer made his highly-anticipated women’s ready to wear debut today, leading Fendi towards a new horizon in the process. Ironically, with his eyes firmly fixed on the future of the near-100-year-old Roman brand, Jones looked towards the past for inspiration—specifically to the wardrobes of the five Fendi sisters and to the ‘Karligraphy’ logo made famous by his predecessor, the late and great Karl Lagerfeld.

His muses—Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla, and Alda Fendi—and their endearing Italian style underpinned what we saw on the opening day of Milan Fashion Week. An array of fringed furs, striped silk that clung to the body in a delicate and flattering way, luxe herringbone print, bell sleeves, shirt jackets, and more cashmere and camel than you can shake a fist at. Beyond their impeccable taste for dressing, these five sisters also evidently had an eye for talent too: it was the quintet who originally recruited Kaiser Karl back in 1965, catapulting their family name forward in a whole new way.

According to a release, Jones was invited to look at an archive of some 70,000 sketches by Lagerfeld when he accepted the role. This birthed the renaissance of the 1981 Karligraphy monogram, seen in last month Haute Couture collection and here on lacy white tights, which are guaranteed fodder for the Instagram set, and on laser-cut suede.

Jones said the collection was not just an ode to the “powerful dynasty” but to the “amazing, strong women” who make up his friends and colleagues: “There’s a usefulness to the collection, explored in a chic, timeless way,” he noted. Accessories, ever a key focus, are expanded to new bag offerings: the First, the Way, and the Touch. Plus! A new bespoke iteration of the Baguette, this time with a baroque floral motif created by local craftspeople through the Fendi hand in hand project. Also denuting this season is a jewelry range introduced by Delfina Delettrez Fendi, titled Fendi O’Lock, with cuffs, padlocks that can only be opened by dialing F-e-n-d-i, and wax seal pendants stamped with the aforementioned Karligraphy. The future of the house is here!

See the full collection below:

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