"Pasolini witnessed Rome modernizing. What interests me is connecting eras, linking old with new, past with present." - Kim Jones

If Kim Jones's couture debut traced his transition from England to Rome, for Fendi Autumn/Winter 2021 Couture, Jones, now at home in the Eternal City, explores the city through the poetic works of Roman film director Pier Paolo Pasolini. "Rome is a fascinating city with a rich past. I have always been inspired by Pasolini's worldview. He was something of an outsider in Rome's history, yet his influence remains enduring," says Kim Jones.

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Various periods of Roman history are interwoven against a contemporary backdrop, reflecting and refracting Pasolini's perspective on reality throughout. In this collection, where forms and fabrics create an infinite illusion and nothing is as it seems, film director Luca Guadagnino constructs the show through his own portrait of Pasolini. "I have always admired Luca's work, and like Pasolini, he is an artist who addresses themes that are urgently relevant to our time," continues Kim Jones. "Historians look directly at history, but a filmmaker like Pasolini, a master poet, looks at history and elevates it. Through his eyes, history takes on a poignant and sensitive modernity, the past infiltrates the present, breathing the same air as us," explains Luca Guadagnino.

The overlapping of different eras is most directly expressed in the rebirth of antique garments, with furs and fabrics scanned and recreated as ethereal silk jacquards. Corneli embroidery and crystal beading create a poetic metaphor for the past, transfiguring it into the present. Roman statues surrounding the FENDI Palazzo, known as the Italian Palace of Civilization, are brought to life; marble drapes are transformed into silk trompe l'oeil, and the arches surrounding the Palazzo are transformed into shoe heels. Powerful silhouettes are reimagined as delicate lace minidresses, while classic scrollwork is expertly embroidered in tribute to FENDI's unparalleled craftsmanship. The enduring allure of Italian stone and its processing constantly emerges as original ideas. Pietradura inlays become supple leather intarsia, and pressed pleats evoke the illusion of Bernini sculptures. Hand-carved Italian marble jewelry undulates, seemingly frozen in time. Mother-of-pearl mosaics are layered on tulle dresses, handbags, and shoes, while jumpers are stitched together with Karakul fur.

The cultural crossroads of ancient Rome are reflected in the diverse cast of models of all ages. "Rome was the center of the world at the time. We wanted to include all the people who lived there then and who live there today," concludes Kim Jones. Fendi's spirit, which looks to the city's past and future, is once again brought to life.



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