From the 22nd to the 28th of February 2022, Milano Fashion Week returns for its second edition of the year. This week was full of appointments, with designers presenting their women’s collections for Autumn/Winter 2022-23, of which one in particular has caught our eye. Two very specific words can be used to encapsulate the essence of the clothes spotted at the Fendi show at Milano Fashion Week: intellectual sensuality. Among studied see-through effect and sinuous plays of transparencies, creative director of the Maison Kim Jones had the opportunity to walk out among the audience after the first physical debut with the most recent haute couture collection.
Far from the codes of the Fendi haute couture Spring Summer 2022 collection, presented in Paris about a month ago, the aesthetic dialogue of the maison steers towards the urban codes of women’s wardrobe, thosewhich could be considered to be more cosmopolitan and chic whilst never denying the essence of a woman. This specific essence is enhanced by fabrics with a visually opaque finish: nothing underneath the dress is fully revealed. Here is where we see the brand’s intellectual sensuality emerges, it allows women to dare and tease with their femininity without revealing themselves completely. What emerges from these looks is a strong sense of self-awareness emphasized by Bella Hadid on the catwalk, a name (and example of self-confidence) which certainly wasn’t chosen by chance.
Bella opened the show with a look reminiscent of Botticelli’s Birth of Venus. The supermodel wore a powder pink lingerie dress in transparent chiffon and a short fur bolero at the waist, tone on tone. For her and all the models on the catwalk, a wet-look was chosen. From the very first look there is a detail that will appear in most of the others: the ruffles. Mini ruffles stand out on skirts, tops and dresses. Sometimes they are also a contrasting detail on leather skirts and tailored trousers.
The whole show was based on contrasts and dissonances, rendered firstly by the setting and then in the clothes as well. Petticoat dresses and unsaturated pastel colours evoke a romantic style that clashes with the aseptic and industrial environment of the show. Similarly, dark, armour-like jackets clash with the lightness of organza dresses and fur gloves are paired with transparent midi dresses with a see-through effect. For autumn-winter 2022/2023, Fendi combines the shirt and the corset in a single garment and re-proposes high-waisted dresses with the waistline marked by belts. Also on the catwalk was Fendi’s latest arrival: the Fendigraphy hobo bag. With it’s embossed logo base this piece will once again be the bag of the coming season whilst also strategically becoming available in an ultra-mini version, to be worn on the wrist almost like a bracelet.
