To a dreamy soundtrack of Panda Bear’s Boys Latin, Silvia Venturini Fendi told city dwellers to relax and hit the park, sending out dapper men in heritage materials carrying footballs in bags with furry apples attached to them. i-D spoke to the designer after the show.
Where did the city/nature element come from?
Lately I’m very much in London, so I’m very much in the park waiting from one appointment to the other, watching people. My daughter is there at university so I wait for her for hours in the park close to the university. I was looking at young boys and people and women my age enjoying life, even you live in a big, big city, which is so futuristic in a way. But then you reconnect to your roots, even for an hour.
What was the meaning of the fruit bag bugs and the football?
It’s to highlight the concept of taking an hour, going out from the office – break time – and just lying on the ground with your blankets and having fun and relaxing a bit; taking your time. It’s human, but at the same time organic.
How did you approach the materials?
I was working with materials that have been a little bit forgotten in the men’s wardrobe, like corduroy and tweed—but of course in a Fendi way. The corduroy is a leather so it becomes a Fendi way of making it. What is interesting, and what you don’t see on the catwalk, is that all the times – the coats and jackets – are reversible. One side is plain, clean, and timeless, and the other side is more worn to be creative.
Credits
Text Anders Christian Madsen
Photography Ash Kingston