For Karl Lagerfeld, fur is something quintessentially Italian. That’s no doubt why the current creative director, alongside Silvia Fendi, often showcases fur in Milan in all its myriad forms. The Fendi family was indeed known for working with this material like none other. Starting in 1919 in Rome, this leather and fur manufacturer made a name for itself with their unique design and approach to cuts – soon, Fendi would become synonymous with fur and revolution. While the terms may seem contradictory, one mustn’t forget the talent feeding this label’s surprising work with the medium. By fashioning hides to match the desires of women from all walks of life, Fendi has been able to demystify fur and extract it from the holding cell that is over-serious luxury.
The collection presented in Milan “is in continuity with the haute-fur showcased last July on the Trevi Fountain and inspired by the fairy tales of Hans Christian Andersen. This time Karl chose a legendary muse, Marie Antoinette, and her fantastic universe that he mixed with athletic influences through rugby jerseys and golf pants,” explains Silvia Fendi.
This collection thus explores the theme of waterfalls – the principle of a garment that “floats around the body, hides and reveals it, and falls on the sides in a draping waterfall,” as Karl Lagerfeld explains it. This movement is so subtle that the fur totally detaches itself from all possible connotations, since just like this baltic blue , it’s difficult to guess what fabric it’s made of. For a light, singular, and remarkable season, Karl Lagerfeld thought up the piece as a piece of “mink marquetry cut like old wallpaper”, a piece that plays with overskirts like a flying dress that accompanies it. It’s colorful, not quite so precious, but definitely original. A revolutionary fur vest, in short.
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