Kim Jones Teases Debut Fendi Couture Collection

by SHOWstudio on 8 January 2021

Fendi's new women's artistic director makes his debut later this month. Here's a taste of what's to come.

On Wednesday 27 January, Kim Jones is set to unveil his first collection as Fendi's women's artistic director. Overseeing haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur, taking over from Silvia Venturini Fendi and the late Karl Lagerfeld who held the role for nearly 60 years - it's no mean feat. And with his debut, Jones is aiming high.

This will be the first time Jones tries his hand at both a dedicated couture collection and womenswear. During his tenure at Louis Vuitton menswear, and Dior Men's where he remains artistic director, Jones has graced us with a front row of womenswear looks adapted from the men's collections on the likes of Kate Moss, Naomi Campbell, Lily Allen and Kim Kardashian. Fendi will be the first time Jones is dedicating himself to womenswear exclusively. Always a sucker for high-end craftsmanship and with an eye for detail, Jones and couture are set to make the perfect match.

Jones has ushered in a new era for luxury during his time under the LVMH conglomerate, most recently at Dior he has collaborated with artists including Daniel Arsham, KAWS and Shawn Stussy to freshen up house codes, and it will be interesting to see how this might play into the traditional world of couture. Jones's Fendi debut will ultimately be a surprise, a space for Jones to try something completely new, but as suspected of any designer entering a storied house, Jones has been looking into the archives. On Thursday evening he shared a sketch he'd made. A-symmetrical silhouettes seem to be the aim of the game: a pink one sleeve jacket ties with a bow at the waist, revealing the swooping neckline of a black dress underneath over black tights or trousers. The note 'half and half' reads across the bottom. Stay tuned for SHOWstudio's coverage of the collection later this month.

The upcoming S/S 21 couture season will also see Sacai guest design for Jean Paul Gaultier, Alber Elbaz's return to fashion with AZ Factory and Sterling Ruby's debut on the schedule. Couture just got a whole lot more interesting.