Fashion house Fendi has hit the grand old age of 90.
It felt appropriate then for the House to host celebrate this anniversary by cementing itself within the Italian fashion community in Rome by showcasing a special Couture collection on the backdrop of the brilliant white marble of the Trevi Fountain. A crossroads of culture, where modern meets classical art, the setting was perfect for a fashion house that is known for traversing the boundaries between new and old.
This collection in particular drew heavy inspiration from a 20th Century copy of classic Norwegian Fairytale ‘East of the Sun, West of the Moon’ so much so Lagerfeld asked permission from original illustrator’s Kay Neilsen’s estate to reproduce her artwork on the pieces themselves.
*catwalk images via Vogue.com, Illustrations via Wikipedia
The end product is a vivid medieval tapestry of motifs – the white knight, the King’s castle, and fantastical princesses with their embroidered crowns – splashed across romantic bell shaped gowns, exquisite fur lined coats, and delicate lacework. Hemlines were demure, necklines too were high, pussy bowed and ruffled with Victorian elegance. The models who literally walked on water (albeit on a clear glass walkway) over the base of the fountain were styled with dewy peach complexions and tightly ringleted hair, only punctuated with a sharp eyeliner and bold brows. They were the personification of modern Renaissance women set against the backdrop of cascading fountain water. Like 21st Century Aphrodite’s on the rocks.
Though collectively the show was a visual masterpiece worthy of the Sistine Chapel, as with with any piece of art the real beauty in the detail. Lagerfeld and his team are, of course, pros at this. In addition to the intricacies associated with trying to reproduce Neilsen’s Art Deco-esque illustrations, much of the floral print work are hand stitched fur pieces.
No more is this detail perfectly illustrated than in Jenner’s empire-waist gown – my favourite of the entire show – it’s awash with faded marble-esque printwork adorned with fur florals and Neilsen’s beautiful artwork.
I highly recommend viewing the entire collection in all it’s glory on Vogue and let me know your thoughts on the pieces in the comments below!
Ria
![](https://scontent-arn2-1.cdninstagram.com/v/t51.2885-15/e35/c0.58.1080.1080a/s150x150/102553196_179608096808939_284574406840022070_n.jpg?_nc_ht=scontent-arn2-1.cdninstagram.com&_nc_cat=111&_nc_ohc=QqdzZhJl8NUAX9Xa0rR&oh=78196c3716ad6fa31cbc01836fd492b2&oe=5F3833E3 "So it\'s Friday. How\'re we feeling folks?
Now that many have posted their black square, the blackout hashtags have been and gone, and platitudes and promises have been made that #BlackLivesMatter, I wanted to highlight the passage on the second slide, in which #AudreLorde wrote in 1980
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\\"...Black women and our children know the fabric of our lives is stitched with violence and with hatred, that there is no rest.\\"
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I highlight this passage in particular because it serves as a reminder that even though George Floyd\'s killers have been arrested and charged, WE are not done yet. There is no rest in dismantling white supremacy. It\'s tiring and exhausting, but it\'s absolutely necessary work.
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I wrote a blog post in 2017 called \'Welcome to the resistance: Are you sitting uncomfortably\' as a direct response to the Women\'s March.
I wrote it as a plea to keep sitting with the uncomfortable energy that comes with active allyship, anti-racist work and challenging white supremacy, not just for the march but for the long run. That endurance faltered quickly after the Women\'s March. Many of us fell complacent - myself included.
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We cannot allow that to happen again this time. Because that tiredness, exhaustion and fatigue is something Black and minority ethnic people live with everyday.
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The call to arms remains the same as it did back then. Whatever you do, don’t resolve to stand still on issues.
Embrace being comfortable with being uncomfortable.")
