Ah Fendi, Fendi, Fendi. In a season where the normally PETA-flanked runways of New York and even London churned out a surprising amount of fur, my mink-dar was itching for a taste of overdrive from the world's premier luxury furrier as we cobbled up to the re-see (I will never forgive myself for missing the show, at least for now). Mind you, mid-cobble, the Marc Jacobs bag on which I'd sprung my book advance at the end of NYFW, out of nowhere, plummeted to the ground as the damn strap broke! Thanks, Marc. And inside said zip-adorned black leather handbag? My Nikon D40, of course, whose lens, thanks to the fall, had become separated from the body of the camera and refused to reattach. So not only did I have to walk into Fendi clutching my handbag as if it were the world's biggest tote, I also had to resort to i-Phoning the photos when I had at my fingertips lush lynx coats, patchwork fur coats and vests, piping detail on skirts and dresses, which, upon closer inspection, turned out to be ribbon strips of shaved fur...there was no zoom to pick up on the nuances of the Roman decadence.
But oh what a collection it was. I've been a devoted Fendi fan dating back to the early nineties when Mamma Whisperer introduced me to the flagship which was, at that point, just off the Via Condotti in Rome and featured an entire wall made of black mink. So whilst Mamma Whisperer shopped, the little Whisperer in training ran her fingers through the wall, wishing to take the whole thing home so as to make 100,000 little mink coats for my legions of Barbies. But this season, with its assortment of luxe autumnal hues, mustards and forest greens worked through furs, supersoft cashmeres, structured wools and worn layer upon layer exuded the ultimate in October chic. Can I go back to school, Fendi-style please??
THE Lynx
Eveningwear saw a decidedly jet black palette, but unlike many a pitchy collection I've seen walk this season, Fendi's LBD's and seemingly (or as seen from the runway) straightforward little swing jackets and sheer blouses, are actually fraught with painstaking detail. A bit of fur worked into the cuff, bustiers sculpted out of sheared fur "ribbon"...the nuance of the detail all came down to how the girl or garment moved to catch the light, otherwise, the subtle use of fur would be completely undetectable to the harsh vegan eye. Maybe that was Karl's intention.
A dress modeled by my girl Liu Wen, with close up detail to the right: that piping, it's alllll furrr baby
The same "fur ribbon" technique, this time on a sleeve detail
And then there were the accessories. What is Fendi (other than fur?) if not one of the holiest of the holy, the most revered of all accessory-makers (hellllo Mama Baguette, what is Peekaboo?). Let's begin with the shoes. This season, evolving their sumptuous round-toe platform shape (remember the red hide Maryjanes of last AW?) Fendi converged on the practical and the wearable, turning out some tremendously adorable pump wellies. They came in a variety of different leathers, clear plastic and with the occasional lace-up detail. There were of course the requisite gorg heels--cheetah printed t-bar stilettos, green ostrich and other ultra-luxe delights, but it was those wellies, not tremendously unlike those DKNY ones which I acquired post Style Whispering for my merry little Xmas...but with that certain Italian pizazz. The high street is going to have a feast on this one.
And then there were the bags. Whoever said the "it" bag is dead be damned. Exhibit A: What's this white D&G satchel which resembles the Mulberry Alexa to an Italian T that everyone's shooting, talking about, writing about etc. But the Peekaboo (more on my personal encounter with said bag later) to me, is slowly but surely becoming the Italian Birkin. It's literally the most beautiful bag (so what if it slouches open for all the world to pickpocket) that I've seen in a long time. When it first debuted down on the runway a few seasons back, I was utterly and completely head over heels. Then they told me there was a waitlist. Then the price.
Anywho, Fendi's pickings in the bag department this year are as spot on as their chic-cute-yet-still-functional footwear. Peekaboos in sumptuous mustards and moutwatering white water snake and even an ultraultra luxe (fox?) fur. THAT's the one I want. There was a spotted range a la Jimmy Choo, or perhaps Choo rendered his a la Fendi, good ol' proverbial fashion chicken and egg...The baguette perseveres into yet another decade!
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