The Italian fashion house returned to its home – Rome – to celebrate this milestone anniversary with a startling fashion show dedicated to fur.

The term extravaganza is sometimes too generously tossed around in the world of fashion but when it comes to Fendi’s 90th anniversary Haute Fourrure show, nothing describes it better. 

Cementing its reputation to continually awe and mesmerise, the Italian fashion house returned to its home – Rome – to celebrate this milestone anniversary with a startling fashion show dedicated to fur that stunned on a few accords.

Firstly, A-lister guests like Kate Hudson, Gong Li and Chiara Ferragni were jetted into Rome on a chartered plane for it, just as Paris Haute Couture Week wrapped up. Secondly, it is staged at the newly restored Trevi Fountain that the brand recently pumped in an estimated 2.1 million euros to return to its former glory. And then there’s the catwalk – one that pushed creativity to the very edge of the word.

Models strutted on a transparent catwalk above the fountain, making it seem like they were walking on water.

The idea couldn’t paint the Legends & Fairy Tales  theme of the show more accurately. It was  brought to life in front of one of Italy’s most legendary monuments with models floating above water, just like fairies in a -- you guessed it -- fairy tale.


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Opening the show was Kendall Jenner in an indigo fur coat, which skirt comes with hand-cut holes, delicate flowers and swatches of more fur in different colours. The looks quickly turn lighter and airier with lace dresses given a touch of magic with floral appliques of handcrafted fur.


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Proudly and unapologetically sealing its status as a fur specialist maison, Fendi showcased its use of fur in a myriad of ways beyond the usual jacket. A Persian lamb dress was transformed to look like lace, skillfully perforated with over 5,000 holes for the effect. Others get the mosaic-tile treatment and see small pieces of fur painstakingly put together to form enchanting landscapes of gardens.


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Tulle was also used as a base for quite a number of pieces, embroidered with fur of various lengths and colour as well as crocheted with more floral appliques for extravagant numbers that remain light as air.


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And then we have the jackets – Fendi wouldn’t be Fendi without its spectacular fur jackets. It took the bold step to dye one a delicate pink eventhough the lynx was something most consider precious enough on its own. Others come in equally tantalising colours like gold on baby blue and Autumn-inspired reds and greens on browns. 


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A few tell a story – a fairytale, to be precise, keeping to the main theme of the collection – with abstract motifs of golden haired princesses dancing across them donning semblances of crowns. There are also some with strong forest themes, perhaps a nod to fairytales’ ties with them, whether warm and friendly or sinister and forbidden. 


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Fur capes are also aplenty, again sporting intricate fairytale imageries of trees, forest elves and flowers. In an interview, Lagerfeld said he drew his inspiration from 'East of the Sun and West of the Moon' a book of fairytales from 1914 and there is no mistaking the influence of that in this collection that may just have been made for a true princess --  in design, material and skill.


Log on to the official website here to see more of the collection and show.

(Source: Fendi) 

Over at Chanel, the spotlights gets shone on its talented tailors.