Fendi Finds Its Post-Karl Lagerfeld Groove for Spring 2020

Silvia Venturini Fendi, who long worked alongside the late designer, made her ready-to-wear debut as creative director with a sunny show.

"I consider this show a real debut," said Silvia Venturini Fendi, for whom Spring 2020 marked her first women's ready-to-wear collection as creative director of Fendi. Karl Lagerfeld had been previously at the helm of the brand for over 50 years, and his death in February led the Fall 2019 collection, which debuted two days later, to be all about looking back on his legacy. Now, it's Venturini Fendi's time to shine, and the designer, who until now had dealt with the maison's accessories, has opened a new era that she guarantees will be "100% Fendi in spirit."

The mood is lighter than last time, when fashion had attended the show still shaken from the tragic Lagerfeld news, and this is evident through the day-ready clothing. “I wanted to give the collection a touch of the sun," Venturini Fendi said of her inspiration. "For me, summer is lightness. It's putting on a bikini under the jacket to take a dip if it happens." Thus, fabrics become more fluid and silhouettes discover a smiling softness, while the color palette comprises shades like pink, beige, brown, and yellow. Prints, when they appear, conquer the scene with large floral patterns, reminiscent of the splendid nature of a tropical garden. Yellow-brown plaid statement pieces provide a bold palate cleanser between all those florals for spring.

Then, there are the looks that seem to radiate light, thanks to an opalescent patina that covers them. Skirts often reveal legs, which often become further visible through techno-transparent fabric. At the end of the show, Venturini Fendi took her bow to the old Fifth Dimension hit, "Aquarius/Let The Sunshine In," leaving everyone ready for the spring sunshine to come back again.

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