Who knew Silvia Venturini Fendi has a country house where she tends chickens, and produces her own pecorino romano, ricotta cheese and also sheep’s milk mozzarella? And who knew she considers Princess Anne something of a fashion idol with her classic, outdoorsy style built on a lot of masculine clothing archetypes?
Cue a fall Fendi men’s collection that could be summed up as a hyper-luxurious edition of Field & Stream magazine come to life. Fisherman coats, waxed field jackets and loden overcoats were treated with the Roman house’s inimitable finesse, the suede collars etched to resemble corduroy. Meanwhile, super wide-wale corduroy pants were more plush than a bathrobe in a five-star hotel, and loose, Wellington-style boots came in leather.
The plush textures, rich forest colors, fresh-faced casting and the fast-paced techno soundtrack all contributed to make this a knockout show.
“A town and country look” is how Venturini Fendi described the collection, which straddled both urbane and outdoorsy garments. The long, flaring leather overcoats would fall in the former category; the raglan-sleeved ones in loud blanket checks in the latter.
Knit “twin sets,” usually polos teamed with cardigans, fell somewhere in the middle of that divide, as did handsome car coats in Selleria leather, and boat shoes with chunky rubber soles. Blousons and pea coats made of wool-out shearling, shaved to create trompe-l’œil seams and pockets, were sensational.
In a nod to Balmoral, Venturini Fendi evoked the spirit of the Scottish kilt in wide-legged pants with knife pleats on the outseams, which were surprisingly chic. Drop-crotch shorts with the look of a skirt were ungainly, but they did not break the spell this terrific collection cast.
Oh, and here’s one more thing you might not have known about Venturini Fendi: She’s a big fan of electronic music. It explains the bespoke soundtrack by Vascellari and Rocco Rampino, and the only high-tech element in the show: an orb-like speaker done in collaboration with high-end French audio firm Devialet.
The designer noticed that young generations live with music nearly around the clock, including her 16-year-old niece. “She always arrives with a speaker, so I thought, ‘Well, that’s a good idea.’”
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