The 54-year fashion collaboration between The House of Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld was truly an epic story. And this collection served as the denouement.
Throughout the collection, the very high collared shirt, or some manifestation thereof, was an obvious ode to Karl Lagerfeld’s signature shirts. These were his uniform, his look, his style DNA. And this DNA ran through the entire collection. These high collared buttoned up looks were paired with menswear inspired looks, such as loose trousers and double-breasted blazers and coats. They were also shown in more feminine and elegant silhouettes, such as under a dress and paired with a skirt. Even the collarless looks had the shape of a collar as a design.
The juxtaposition of the very modest neck with a very revealing silhouette and/or literally sheer fabric was the perfect manifestation of Karl Lagerfeld’s aesthetic. Covering the entire body, these designs could have been modest, prim, and proper. However, they were made out of very revealing sheer fabrics which read as very revealing, feminine, and sexy.
Many of these looks had The “Karligraphy” the interlocking F logo, which he coined and Fendi has been using since the 80s. In this collection it was placed on hosiery, undergarments, skirts, shirts, etc. creating a pattern and used on the entire look. Almost as if Karl Lagerfeld and Fendi’s aesthetic are quite literally woven together to be the very fabric of this brand.
Interesting highlights in this collection include the use of geometric patterned, perforated leather, which gave illusion of three-dimensionality. Another aspect of the collection, which I found especially eye catching were the looks with the shoulder pads and seams on the exterior of the garment. It is as though the garment was taken off, turned inside out, proudly displaying the interior workmanship of the garment on the outside.
The collection had a very neutral pallete, however it was punctuated with flashes of color. As I viewed the last look consisting entirely of the interlocking Fs “Karligraphy’, I like to imagine it was Karl Lagerfeld’s way of saying: Farewell Fendi!
