MILAN (AP) – The curve of an arch and the straight lines of a staircase were evoked in Fendi’s womenswear looks for next summer.
It’s not the first time that architecture has inspired fashion. But Karl Lagerfeld invested it with an evocative, not strictly structural, quality, waxing in his notes that designers and architects, like poets, can achieve “a sensuous and emotional factor”.
Lagerfeld said the collection, previewed today on the second day of Milan Fashion Week, was meant to be young and uncompromising. Fittingly, hemlines either short-short or long to the ankle, nothing in between.
Toward the architectural detailing, mini suede dresses and leather skirts featured slits cut into the shoulders, necklines and sides for a modest peekaboo effect, and complementing the high-heeled slit and strappy sandals. Arched panels gave height to long dresses, creating a layered effect.
Long skirts had a pleated effect derived from alternating sheer and opaque panels. Trousers, including denim, were roomy in the hips before tightening in the calf, jodhpur-style.
Large orchid motifs, evoking lightness and beauty, graced many of the pieces as laser-cut leather appliques on jackets, embroidered into dresses or decorating handbags.
Georgia May Jagger took a turn on the runway, sporting a dark blue mini dress in an orchid print with a built-in asymmetrical cape that wrapped around one shoulder.
The looks were finished with thick braided bracelets and accompanied by a new baguette bag for the season. Hair was pulled untidily back with leather orchid accessories.
