Fendi's Quiet Savoir-Faire

Can couture be quiet? Must savoir-faire be displayed, or can it remain hidden, almost unnoticed? This is the question Maria Grazia Chiuri seems to answer with her first Haute Couture show for Fendi, presented in Rome as part of a re-edition of the exhibition organized by Karl Lagerfeld in 1985 to celebrate the fashion house's 20th anniversary.

One of the sketches among the 180 on display—accompanied by 25 fur creations also designed by Lagerfeld—inspired Chiuri. The labyrinth, a metaphor for the creative process, is part of Fendi's heritage and becomes the central theme of the collection presented on the runway.

It is a very different vision of couture from the one we are accustomed to seeing, often defined by elaborate craftsmanship and striking visual effects. Yet, in Chiuri's words, it is the only couture truly suited to the Roman maison.

«Fendi is craftsmanship. The brand's couture begins with a specific material, not with construction.»

It is, in fact, fur that becomes the foundation of the collection's most extraordinary savoir-faire, showcasing the Roman maison's remarkable ability to make it light, deconstruct it, and almost make it disappear.

This is evident in a cape that appears to be lace but is actually an embroidered mesh embellished with leather elements—another signature Fendi material—and fur. It is also seen in another cape where mink opens up like knitwear, and in the all-black men's overcoat created using the intricate intarsia technique.