Designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi, the original Peekaboo bag was first presented at Fendi’s Spring 2009 show. The purpose of the bag was to highlight simplicity. In an interview, she once shared that looking for a traditional yet modern contemporary shape that will satisfy even the most sophisticated woman is the piece’s inspiration.

Meanwhile, Kengo Kuma’s version of the bag resembles a fashionable toolbox with a basket-shaped design. It alludes to the earthly materials he often draws up from the chafed look of the handbag.

The architect’s version is more gender-fluid and sustainable. 

But, these differences aside, the bag is for public viewing and is open to changes, as it promotes a surprise change in colour, leather, or texture during the seasons. Kuma’s reinvention of it is just another great addition to the list. 

On the other hand, the Fendi Baguette Soft Trunk is already a reinterpretation of the original baguette bag. It features a structured silhouette reminiscent of vintage travel trunks, designed to optimise functionality while maintaining a compact size. 

Kuma’s take on it is giving the bag a makeover: giving it sharper edges, a lighter shade, and wood chips as a cherry on top. The beige-leaning colours of the bag will work with earthy tones and hues. 

For Kuma’s reinvention of the Fendi Flow shoes, he treaded towards a more futuristic approach. Undulating lines and soft curves punctuate the sneakers in the collection, which have distinct 3D-printed threads around the sole of the shoes.

These threads with a recycled poly-cotton knit or waranshi upper were inspired by yatara ami weaving, an ‘irregular plaiting’ technique using fine bamboo strands to create a strong woven latticework. 

Incorporating traditional weaves into fashion is always a welcome surprise. Kuma didn’t only preserve and celebrated the cultural identity and craftsmanship of the Japanese through yatara ami, he also did it in a way that is aesthetically pleasing—adding a unique appeal and showcasing a high level of craftsmanship to the Italian-branded shoes.

Through these, he once again reminded everyone that fashion, like architecture, is a safe space for embracing diverse and rich artistic traditions and culture, offering consumers something unique and significant.

Incorporating culture, and in a more umbrella term, nature, has always been Kuma’s vision when dealing with his work. 

“I've always thought of Kengo Kuma as a master of naturalist architecture. He was one of the first to understand the importance of building nature into architecture both inside and out,” says Silvia Venturini Fendi. “I feel a sense of kinship with his Japanese approach to savoir-faire—I think it is a strong value shared between Japan and Italy.”

Kuma agrees, and further adds: “Nature and craft have always been at the centre of my work as an architect and a designer. When Fendi asked me to reflect on their bags and shoes, I thought of them like small architectural projects on a human scale.”

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