Silvia Venturini Fendi's swan song for Fendi made several points: linen was paramount, co-ed is the norm, plus-size model Ashley Graham is back, and a shorts and calf-high socks combo are the MO for the foreseeable future.
In the latest round of designer musical chairs, it was announced that artistic director of Dior Kim Jones would be taking over as creative director for Fendi's RTW womenswear, haute couture, and fur collections, making this SS21 the last Fendi womenswear show from Ms. Fendi herself – although she will be continuing in her role as head of menswear and accessories.
As the third generation member of the Fendi bloodline, Silvia Venturini Fendi's final womenswear collection was suitably hinged around the inherent strength of family and matriarchy, as the show's invitation made clear with a linen envelope that revealed Venturini along with her mother, son-in-law, daughters, and grandchildren photographed in the new pieces.
So what else was showing? White linen and black leather shorts were matched with dainty linen knit socks tucked into woven sandals and clean white mules. Imagine Tyler, the Creator's vibe but if he was in a Luca Guadagnino movie. Elsewhere, delicate bibs were clipped to the front of linen shirts and accessorised with pearl earrings, and cropped leather tops sat several inches above the navel giving a distinctly androgynous feel to this season's menswear options.
The accessories – one of the brand's strongest suits - continued the outdoor-friendly feel from SS20 with a range of picnic-ready bags (perfect for a socially-distanced park hang) woven clutches, and some loudly branded fanny packs.
Stay tuned for the next stage of Fendi's evolution under the helm of Kim Jones, which will no doubt see more collaborations than we're used to.
