As the storied Italian house marks its centennial, FENDI revisits a cinematic milestone to chart a new course for Mediterranean luxury.
By The Fashion Editorial Team
In its 100th year, FENDI looks not to the past with nostalgia, but to the future with clarity. The Summer 2025 collection draws from a pivotal moment in the house’s history: Karl Lagerfeld’s first Ready-to-Wear collection for Spring/Summer 1978, revealed through the groundbreaking 1977 fashion film Histoire d’Eau. Directed by Jacques De Bascher, the short follows an elegant traveler, played by Susy Dyson, as she drifts through Rome with cinematic grace—bathing in fountains, slipping through ateliers, and transforming the Eternal City into a dreamscape of sensual possibility.
It’s this spirit—unbothered, expressive, insatiably curious—that Kim Jones channels into a collection where seaside ease meets urban sophistication. Saturated in Mediterranean light, the palette unfolds in coral red, seafoam, terracotta, buttermilk, iced lemon, and ocean blue—a chromatic hymn to sun, salt, and stone. The sculptural motif of red coral, borrowed from Histoire d’Eau, recurs throughout: adorning necklines, forming embroidered vines, and blooming across prints alongside oversized florals and bandana patterns that suggest a studied kind of effortlessness.
The silhouettes speak with a distinctly Roman accent—fluid yet precise. Maxi dresses float with architectural discipline, tailored city shorts strike a balance between function and flair, and flared, figure-hugging tank dresses exude quiet sensuality. Materials showcase FENDI’s technical virtuosity: patchworked devoré lace, lambskin appliqué, and coral-beaded collars punctuate the silhouettes with artisanal precision. Menswear finds its rhythm in coral bandana florals, postcard embroidery, and sun-washed knits that nod to vintage athletics without losing refinement.
Accessories extend the narrative with tactile inventiveness. Iconic FENDI shapes—the Peekaboo, Baguette, and By The Way—appear reworked in hand-braided raffia, FF jacquards, and trompe l’oeil ‘denim’ Cuoio Romano leather. The new Summer Tote joins the lineup, while the FENDI Fling thong sandal—anchored by an abstract ‘F’—offers minimalist appeal. The Colibri pump and flatform wedges return reimagined in raffia mesh, Sea Garden embroidery, and bandana print, continuing the collection’s tactile narrative. For men, FF-buckled suede sandals and Selleria-stitched slides ground looks in luxurious restraint. Playful charms bring levity: origami leather fish, bandana-wrapped talismans, and plush jellyfish dangle from bags, while oversized raffia and denim hats complete the looks with sun-soaked ease.
More than a seasonal offering, the collection positions FENDI as a house that understands its past not as a museum piece, but as creative fuel. By revisiting the moment Lagerfeld brought cinematic storytelling to fashion, Kim Jones offers a compelling vision for the next century—one where heritage isn’t static, but fluid, alive, and ready to leap into the fountain.