MFF 111 - Kim Jones: «In the women of the Fendi family I find inspiration»

Family first. Fendi’s history has always been linked to the concept of family. Strong women who built a company representing Italian fashion, together with a male figure with whom the perfect alchemy has been created. Karl Lagerfeld first, Kim Jones today. It is as if everything was written in the stars. After the death of the designer who for over 50 years worked alongside the Fendi sisters in the process of establishing the fashion house’s image, Kim Jones’ arrival was fundamental in recreating a magical balance.

Since his appointment, about a year ago, as Artistic Director of Fendi’s Couture and Womenswear, the British designer joined Silvia Venturini Fendi, Creative Director for Accessories and Menswear, kind of squaring the circle. Not surprisingly, it was Jones himself who wanted to consolidate the family vision, by appointing Delfina Delettrez Fendi, Silvia's daughter, as Artistic Director of Jewelry, creating a strong bond with LVMH Maison’s DNA, which is being strengthened season after season.

The FW 2022/23 collection presented at Milan Women Fashion is emblematic, resulting from the fusion of two historical collections, between tailoring and lightness, masculine fabrics and pastel colours. «Hard and soft», as Kim Jones defined it. A three-way dialogue capable of giving shape to different facets of the brand's universe, told through the lens of its conductors, because «families are not only those you find yourself in, but also those you choose», as Silvia Venturini Fendi loves to repeat.

This is the third ready-to-wear collection you have designed for Fendi, and the dialogue with the Maison’s heritage is getting stronger and stronger... What elements of the brand's history did you draw on for this season?

There are two different conversations. I drew on two collections that I really liked and had the time to research. One was the 1986 Memphis. Delfina (Delettrez Fendi, ed.) came to work one day with a printed shirt that she had stolen from Silvia (Venturini Fendi, ed.). When I saw it, I said, «Oh my God, we have to build a collection around this, because I fell in love with it». So, we got it back for FW 2022. The other one is SS 2000, which was characterized by chiffon. So, I took the tailoring and the lightness of chiffon and blended them with the Fendi colour palette. I took the two collections and merged them with the idea of getting strict tailoring for outerwear combined with the lightness of lace and chiffon in order to create something new, combined with accessories like the Fendi First bag which is a hit. The idea is that of a soft hardness. The music of the show is very strong, even the set is textural.

You have been here for a while...

A year, it has been a little over a year since my first show for Fendi...

How would you describe your vision of Fendi?

I am looking at Fendi's past but without nostalgia. I am looking at the generations that have followed one another and the inspiration for this collection shows that. Silvia wore this shirt and Delfina stole it from her. That tells of the longevity of this fashion. Delfina is the next generation and this tells how the garments and traditions have been passed down. It is generational. Fendi's is a family of strong women who live their lives the way they want to. Delfina, Leonetta, Silvia and Anna Fendi... They are all people I look to for inspiration.

How is the relationship with Silvia and Delfina?

I love them. We have a very straightforward way of working. We are a team, a family.

They are a constant source of inspiration for your work...

Absolutely. They know the brand, they live it and give it its name. I want to make them proud of my work. If they are happy, I am happy. Just as I want to make the consumers happy. This is my biggest mission.

You use very heterogeneous casting...

For ready-to-wear, I liked the idea of using very young, playful, light casting. I chose Bella (Hadid, ed.) to open the show because I knew she would love this collection.

And what about Kate Moss?

Yes, I love her like a sister, we go on vacations together. She has a great sense of humour and is tremendously intelligent.

You are very good at understanding what customers want. Do you think that now post-pandemic tastes have changed?

Right now, what we are doing is sell, sell, sell. The sell-through is very high. I cannot explain why. What I do is watch, observe and above all listen. This is what matters to me. I watch women of different ages and backgrounds, I observe what is going on and I put some intuition into it. I think it is simply about observing.

And having a good intuition...

I have a hard time describing it because it is in my head. With Dior and Fendi it works like that.

Do you feel like designing your own collection?

I did it many years ago when I was young. It was a lot of fun for me. But I have to be honest, today I really enjoy working with pillars and brand archives. I love archives. In fact, some of my collections are now 20 years old, so maybe I can consider them archival. I keep everything in my office in London, so I can see them whenever I want.

Is there any collaboration in this collection?

No, it is 100% Fendi.

You really like doing collaborations though...

Sure, the last one I did with Dior. I can do one fun thing a year or not. It depends...

Like the one with Donatella Versace?

The collaboration with Versace happened because we were big fans and it was really something we needed. We needed some fun after being locked up for a long time. We all love Donatella Versace, she is the queen of Italy.

You are often surrounded by women. The Fendi family, Donatella Versace, Kim Kardashian… How important are they for your work?

I love women, I like strong women, who do things. All the people I meet come from different backgrounds, they have different talents.

And they understand that you love them...

That is right, they do.

You did an incredible takeover of Time Square. It was a strong statement for the brand...

It was important on a communication level. People know that Fendi is an incredible brand, but we are the ones who help people understand it. So, the presence is important.

You were friends with Virgil Abloh...

We knew each other since 2005, we were very close friends. There was a crossover between us. He came to design Louis Vuitton’s menwear collection after me when I went to Dior.

How did you react at that moment?

I have not processed the facts yet. I saw Shannon, his wife, at the last Vuitton show. It is nice to see that his legacy lives on through the involvement and support he gave to young designers. Unfortunately, I think this happened because he knew he was sick. He wanted to leave something to people.

One of the most important messages that Virgil Abloh gave was to open up without limits...

He was one of the greatest creative directors in the world in every aspect, from the image to the single piece of clothing, and I think he touched more people than most designers could ever say they did. That is because his background was diverse and gave hope to numerous people. I think that is his real legacy, the most important thing.

Were you in London when it happened?

I was in Rome. I was coming back from Fendi and I saw it on Instagram. I was with Lucy, who is my right-hand woman, a very strong woman who has been with me for 16 years, and we burst into tears, we could not believe it. It was a shock.

When did you last see him?

Two months before at the LVMH Prize. We were talking and joking about how our lives had changed since we met. I have this very sweet picture of us, I think it was 2007... He was like family to me, I had known him since my 20's. It still does not feel real to me.

Is family important?

I chose my own family. That is important to me.

How fundamental is the recognition of your work by the entire fashion system?

In the end, what matters is the client, because it is the person I want to talk to, the one who has to like what we do. If you make people feel good, they will want to wear your clothes and that is the best review in the world. I like to see people walking down the street dressed in Fendi. (All rights reserved)