I realised I might have a problem when my friend broke up with her partner and the only thing I managed to say was, “If it’s meant to be, it will,” followed immediately by, “Maria Grazia Chiuri returned to Fendi after 37 years.” Which might sound a little insensitive, unless both parties work in fashion and communicate exclusively in bad humour. After nearly four decades, the designer’s first Cruise collection for the brand took shape. It didn’t, however, take a trip. Everything came neatly packaged as a lookbook and a three-minute short film. New York was spared.
Three minutes were enough to signal Chiuri’s dive into Fendi’s archive. Oltre Lo Specchio (Italian for Beyond the Mirror) is an homage to Jacques de Bascher’s 1977 short film Histoire d’Eau, created as part of Fendi’s first-ever ready-to-wear collection under Karl Lagerfeld’s vision for the brand, often cited as one of the first fashion shorts in history. Both films followed one woman. Chiuri’s wardrobe, however, felt slightly more shared and noticeably more grown-up. Menswear and womenswear were framed in parallel, as if designed to complete each other, pointing to clothes meant to last and be repeated across multiple looks, days, and presumably, attempts.
Just know this attempt is a life largely without colour. Black and white is softened by beige, occasionally broken by red, blue, or purple. Where colour refuses to enter, texture takes over instead. Leather patches, lace, and, inevitably, fur. Suits are structured but relaxed, dresses skim the floor rather than weigh it down. The Fendi Baguette makes its latest return, studded, just like the heels. The Valentino Rockstud seems to be enjoying its revival.
