By: Stephanie Micci
In hard economic times like this, drastic actions need to be taken, and in the case of Fendi, some serious action was taken . . . shoulder action that is, took front and center on the Fendi F/W ’09 runway.
Silvia Venturini Fendi, the last Fendi family member to have a stake in the namesake business, worked with longtime Creative Director, Karl Lagerfeld, to produce a collection that echoed the times, and exemplified the strength needed to persevere through them.
Whenever Lagerfeld is involved, one can be sure that the “show” in fashion show will be maintained, regardless of the weather outside. He possesses chameleon-like senses that allow him to adapt clothing (and, frankly, any project he works on) to any atmosphere without sacrificing the integrity or luxury.
In a serious color palette consisting of blacks, browns, grays, ivories, and reds, Lagerfeld sent out his model army to combat the economic gloom and entice buyers to ring up the orders. Shoulders were pronounced and strong, achieved by superbly executed methods of construction. Lagerfeld had the ingenious idea of reinterpreting the use of the shoulder pad, so it appeared on the exterior of the garment as opposed to its usual home on the interior, with a glossy finish it made the shoulders a style detail, not just a technical one.
The furs, as always, never disappoint. Tibetan and Persian lamb capes, sable merged with fox, and some interesting technological advances that allowed white gold to cling to mink. The luxury invasion marched on onward with other inventive fabrics, such as the burn-out chiffon meshed with cashmere and flannel, as well as interesting armor-like pieces (like the molded leather corsets, and modern cropped cadet capes) to create an parade of fashion mercenaries who would take no reductions in revenue regardless of the economic war going on.
Fendi’s collection proved that in even the darkest of times, dark (color that is) can still be very good.
Images courtesy of the Fashion Spot forums.
