From Baguette-Shaped Bags to Skin-Showing Knitwear, This Is FENDI FW23's Vision of Luxury
Silvia Venturini Fendi puts the power of textures at the fore.
After teaming up with Tiffany & Co, Marc Jacobs, Sarah Jessica Parker, and Porter to celebrate the 25th anniversary of the iconic FENDI Baguette Bag as part of the Resort 2023 show, Silvia Venturini Fendi had a tall order to follow up on with the debut of her Fall/Winter 2023‘s menswear collection.
The House has experienced somewhat of a resurgence in recent years, claiming eighth place as the World’s Hottest Brand in the Lyst Index Q2. In fact, FENDI fought off Diesel, a brand that had a huge comeback in 2022 thanks to its own range of bags and accessories. FENDI, though, has made waves in the fashion industry with the FENDACE collaboration, and an FW22 collection that twisted traditional tailoring on its head.
As for FENDI FW23’s menswear, it was a harmonious blend of trend-setting designs, nods to its iconography, and a whole lot of luxury. Hallmarks of the brand, such as double-faced and reversible cashmere, engineered leathers, and jacquard silks made up a bevy of pieces the House dubs “Cozy, sexy, [and] cool.” Indeed it was, as sheer knitwear exposed bare chests underneath, shoulders were left out in the cold on multiple deconstructed singlets, and capes wrapped around the body in a feminine manner, accentuated with the models holding bags under their arms or dragging scarves across the floor.
For FENDI, a mixture of fun and sartorial norms was welcomed. Understanding the cult appeal of its Baguette bag, the House presented literal baguette bags, cut in shearling and shaped like the famous French bread. FENDI’s clasp signified these are no joke or prop, rather a serious investment piece in the years to come, while another take on the baguette appeared as a cross-body umbrella holder.
The Baguette bag itself appeared in numerous forms from ones that emulated a vintage brown leather satchel to techy black leather iterations, and throughout it felt as if FENDI was pining for its “It Bag” moment once again. That’s because, even down to the finest details, bags made their presence known. From the FENDI Shadow dangling on necklaces (designed by the House’s Artistic Director of jewelry, Delfina Delettrez Fendi) to shopping totes, camping styles that held scarfs like blankets, or even tiny embossed chrome silver metal card holders on dainty chains, there was no stopping FENDI from getting that bag in the frame.
Sprayed shearling and fleece created trompe-l’œil moments throughout the show, giving garments that are usually heavy and solid to the eye a dynamic twist, moving with loosely cut but still tailored trousers in luxurious materials. It also worked a floating placket on a shirt that was actually tucked underneath a ribbed knit, and to round things off, a reappearance of shearling worked a long-line leather vest, which happened to be a show standout.
Take a look at FENDI FW23’s menswear in the gallery above. Stay tuned to Hypebeast to find more Milan Fashion Week FW23 content over the coming days.
In case you missed it, check out Dsquared2’s FW23 show.
