Viard, who served as right-hand to Karl Lagerfeld for decades before his death in February 2019, is an emblem of modern Parisian style herself (she’s got the ruffled fringe and the monochrome wardrobe to prove it).
She says she is still discovering more about Coco Chanel’s pioneering work with each season she gets under her discreet, polished black belt at the helm. Arguably, it was Chanel who invented all of the Parisian style signifiers that are as appealing today as ever.
“Ultimately, through her friendships, it is Chanel, the woman, that I love more and more,” she said. “Her life gives us access to characters just as extraordinary as herself.”
Spring 2020, though, is the first collection from the house since Lagerfeld’s passing and Venturini Fendi, who had been running the men’s and accessories collections, is now in the driving seat on womenswear, too.
Venturini Fendi’s debut as a solo artist stayed true, in many ways, to the lessons she has learned from Lagerfeld. Fendi was founded by her grandparents in 1925 as a single fur and leather shop in Rome and she was four years old when she first met Lagerfeld, her mentor, in 1965.
In her handwriting, those must-Instagram pieces were more subtle, but no less worthy of taking a selfie in. Lightly quilted cardigans were styled more like trophy jackets, ‘shoulder-robed’ on the models in a classic power styling trick. The current popularity of tonal dressing was acknowledged in almost every look; her Summer-Of-Love-inspired palette of rust, ochre and camel was reimagined over and over, with outfits incorporating corduroy, crochet, gingham and flower-power prints in similar colours.
Several models sported a new contender for the world’s smallest crossbody bag (Parisian designer Jacquemus’s 2-inch Chiquito bag went viral last season) so here’s Fendi’s stake-raise, something even smaller and more ‘Like’-baity on social media. Another shape, a big rectangular shopper, comes in floral canvas or logoed-on raffia and could well replace Dior’s now-ubiquitous Book Tote as the beach bag du jour for the rich next summer holiday season.
If designing clothes that people will want to show off on Instagram is still the goal, then Venturini Fendi’s debut will succeed. We will likely not be able to miss, also, her upcoming collaboration with the pop star Nicki Minaj, ‘Fendi Prints On’ which launches next month and promises to be designed for those who are prepared to “be proud of it, flaunt it”. Minaj unveiled a silver bikini top and matching pencil skirt from the range this week.
Fendi womenswear, under Karl Lagerfeld, had always appealed to strong, bold women who enjoy unapologetic, armour-like displays of wealth, as well as a more traditional client base that values its quieter luxury leather pieces and more relaxed, utilitarian daywear options. Venturini Fendi’s task ahead is to play keepy-uppy with both the selfie taker, and the stealth wealth woman, without dropping the ball.