As Fendi celebrates its 100th anniversary, Silvia Venturini Fendi takes us on a journey through the brand’s rich history with the Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection. Drawing inspiration from the archives, Venturini Fendi masterfully weaves together the past, present, and future of the iconic Italian fashion house.
The collection introduces a new house crest, a heraldic shield featuring four distinct sections. Three of these sections showcase the Double-F logo designed by the late Karl Lagerfeld, the vintage Pequin stripe, and a squirrel – a nod to co-founder Edoardo Fendi’s endearing observation of his wife Adele’s industrious nature. The fourth section depicts Janus, the Roman god of transition, symbolizing the brand’s evolution over the past century.
Venturini Fendi’s deep dive into the archives is evident in the robust Selleria stitching that edges the crest and runs through the collection. This signature technique, adopted from Roman saddlery, is embossed as a check on leather coats, overlaid on pastel checks, inlaid into denim, and incorporated as a jacquard micro pinstripe. The Selleria stitch also graces bags, including a zippered Baguette worn across the body and a new version made from a chessboard patchwork of leather offcuts.
The concept of Fendi as a member of an exclusive club inspires references to various forms of affiliation, from a knit soccer shirt reminiscent of the brand’s luggage used by the Italian national squad in 1984 to rugby shirts in oversized Pequin striping, club ties, and cricket sweaters. While the attire is rooted in classic 20th-century menswear, progressive subversion is applied through sensual touches and detailing, such as the diagonal button placement on rib knit and suede half-button shirts.
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Fendi’s signature mastery of materiality shines through in the collection, with suede shirting and trenches that billow like cotton voile and oversized camp collar shirts in cloud-like shearling. The carefully calibrated transitions of hem flowing from sleeves and waistlines in multiple layers showcase the brand’s attention to detail and craftsmanship.
The runway, featuring six mirrored monoliths representing deconstructed strokes of the Double-F, propels the models forward, symbolizing the brand’s monumental yet dynamic nature. Subtle references to Karl Lagerfeld and the five Fendi sisters who took over the house in the late 1940s can be found throughout the collection, with a particularly intriguing accessory being the large metal-clasped jewel box, decorated with a plan of the facade of Fendi’s founding store.
As Fendi looks ahead to its next centenary, Silvia Venturini Fendi’s Spring/Summer 2025 menswear collection serves as a testament to the brand’s enduring legacy and its commitment to embracing the future while honoring its rich heritage.
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©Photo: Fendi
