FENDI, a luxury brand based in Rome, Italy, presented its 2021 Spring/Summer Couture collection by Kim Jones in Shanghai on March 19, 2021, following its presentation in Paris in January, and exhibited rare books and handwritten manuscripts.


For his debut collection for Fendi, Kim Jones reflected transcendent romance and timeless creativity, referencing the unconventional British sensibility of the Bloomsbury Group while also paying homage to the House's storied history. For this collection, seemingly diverse inspirations were interwoven to find common ground. The timeless appeal of the tradition-free creativity of Virginia Woolf and Vanessa Bell was explored alongside the timeless language of Italian sculpture and Fendi's foundational codes. With a central motif of a time-traveling novel that blurs the boundaries between genders, the nature of time is distorted, its subtle motif appearing not as an inherent entity but as a fluid choice. The literary quips of "Orlando," a love letter written by Virginia Woolf to Vita Sackville-West in 1928, just three years after the founding of Fendi, are scattered throughout the collection, sometimes appearing as boxy metal book-shaped clutches, other times as mother-of-pearl minaudières or as quotations on leather boots. Accompanied by music composed by Max Richter, excerpts from letters exchanged between Virginia and Vita during their decades-long courtship are read aloud by members of the Fendi family and friends.


Motifs found at Charleston Farmhouse, Bloomsbury Group's Sussex base, near where Kim Jones spent much of her childhood, have been recontextualized as beaded boots and hand-painted heels. Frescoes by Vanessa Bell and painter Duncan Grant that adorn the walls have been interpreted as embroidery on gowns. Kim Jones said: "I love the path-breaking spirit of this family, especially the two forward-thinking sisters. I admire the way they lived, the freedom they created, and the art they left behind."

Also on display in the exhibition are hand-printed marble scrolls published by Virginia and Leonard Woolf for Hogarth Press, providing a seamless transition into classical Italian beauty. Recreating the marble tones of Rome's Borghese Gallery, the collection incorporates dramatic Desabiers drapes reminiscent of Bernini sculptures, illustrating the harmony between the two movements. (Vanessa Bell was so enthralled by Italian classicism that she painted the Borghese Gardens and recreated the master's works to hang on the walls of Charleston.) Marble is a key element in the collection's visual language, seen on jacquard silk gowns and in intarsia and hand-beaded tailoring. The history of the House of Fendi also figures as a key source. Through Kim Jones's contemporary eye, she delves into the archives for sculptural sketches and embellishments, transformed into biographies of the models who make up the cast. The velvet ribbons on vintage bags are replaced with new designs, and the "Karligraphy" monogram from Karl Lagerfeld's final collection is embellished on boots in beaded embroidery. The show featured a cast of many Fendi associates, including Chinese brand ambassador Tan Zhuo, Zhao Tao, Cecilia Cheung, Du Juan, Liu Dan, Ju Xlaowen and Jin Dachuan, each of whom sat in a glass display cabinet that transformed into their own private room. A host of guests gathered to witness the Maison's new start, including Chinese brand spokesperson Vicky Zhao, Fendi leather goods spokesperson Zhang Ruoyun, actress Shu Qi, as well as socialites and influencers.

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CAST
Look 1: Tan Zhuo - Fendi China Brand Ambassador
Look 3: Zhao Jiali
Look 5: Zhao Tao
Look 7: Li Danni
Look 10: Ju Xlaowen
Look 11: Zhang Lina
Look 16: Jin Dachuan
Look 18: Cecilia Cheung
Look 21: Liu Dan
Look 22: Du Juan



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