Paraded through the light-filled atrium of the FENDI Factory, the collection and the show itself are a metafictional reflection on process, where the dance of man and machine is a palpable link between past and future. Exploring the liminal space that separates nature and innovation, the industrial and the handmade are entwined in perpetuity: tricking the eye, but never the hand.
Clad in earth and concrete, the new FENDI Factory in Capannuccia outside Florence seems to blend with the Tuscan hillside, surrounded by newly planted olive groves and local flora. An innovative hub dedicated to excellence in fine leather goods, FENDI Factory is a destination for the artisans of the future. Designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi, Artistic Director of Accessories and Menswear, the FENDI Mens Spring/Summer 2024 collection is an ode to this new adventure and an historic return to Florence, where Silvia Venturini Fendi’s grandmother Adele Fendi travelled from Rome to learn the art of leather craftsmanship close to a century ago.
Grounding the season’s silhouette in a utilitarian elegance, the archetype of the ‘corporate artisan’ is celebrated in sophisticated expressions of FENDI craftsmanship. In cotton and leather, the patch pockets of workwear belts are dispersed across the collection, revealing the tools of the trade in both literal and figurative gestures. The apron too is employed as halter neck collared shirts and skirts in varying lengths over tailored pants and city shorts. Such games of proportion abound, from shrunken ribbed body tanks to high-waisted, zip-off suit trousers and knee-length dress shirts buttoned to the elbow.
FENDI Men’s Spring/Summer 2024 accessories collection is punctuated by the FENDI KENGO KUMA project, a new artistic dialogue between Italy and Japan that sees Kuma’s architectural principles applied to the Peekaboo, Baguette Soft Trunk and FENDI Flow sneakers constructed in traditional waranshi paper, woven bamboo, birch bark and Tuscan olivewood.
FENDI Mens Spring/Summer 2024 runway show was conducted as a dual presentation, first revealed to the artisans of the FENDI Factory before being attended by press, guests and friends of the House. The digital experience, conceived and directed by the Italian artist Nico Vascellari, flashes between both.
Produced by Nico Vascellari and Rocco Rampino, a bespoke show soundtrack features ambient sounds sampled from the FENDI Factory and the surrounding environment.
