Fendi Fall/Winter 2023 Haute Couture Gives a Lesson on Discreet Intricacy
The collection platformed the pinnacle of haute couture — unsurpassed craftsmanship.
Haute Couture Week is traditionally known as a rather extravagant week, where brands unveil over-the-top and outlandish designs, equal to that of avant-garde fashion. This season however has been a mix. While some labels (such as Thom Browne) have leaned into the expected grandeur of haute couture, others (like Chanel) have shown restraint, showing that couture can be suited for the everyday woman by finding elegance in simplicity. Fendi found itself with the latter.
For Fendi's Spring/Summer 2023 Haute Couture collection, underwear became eveningwear with exposed bralettes and varying levels of lingerie details. For the Fall/Winter 2023 Haute Couture presentation, it was truly all about the eveningwear. It was simple, timeless, and wearable, but also undoubtedly elegant. The pinnacle of haute couture is centered around unsurpassed craftsmanship, making clothing that is made to measure — which Fendi brought to the forefront.
"There is an idea of simplicity with hidden intricacies in the collection; much is about volume, drape, and sculptural shape achieved through complex and rigorous pattern cutting, with garments often realized with only a single seam," the show notes explained.
Further achieving the emphasis on discreet technique was Creative Director Kim Jones' partnership with Delfina's high jewelry, finding inspiration in referencing the jewelry through the color palette, textures, and embellishments. As a result, "the discreetly multifaceted nature of this couture collection reaches a crescendo in embroidery techniques that unite the clothing and jewelry worlds. While clutching their jewel box minaudière, the mood builds with models scattered with jewel-like embellishments or layered with a stratification of intricate stacked tonal paillettes and stones at the closing of the show," the show notes read.
It was an embracement of femininity to the highest degree. There was a softness and suppleness to the collection, thanks to numerous spotlighted draping techniques, second-skin silks, and delicate embroideries. Even among the outer corsets sculpted upon some of the looks, there was a noticeable ease and flexibility that mirrored the greater fluidity present in the collection.
"It is not only about the spectacle of looking but the reality of wearing," the show notes stated.