Rome’s National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art was filled with Fendi baguettes last night as guests gathered for Maria Grazia Chiuri’s couture debut. The iconic bag was slung on the shoulders of nearly every guest, including Sarah Jessica Parker, who was taking videos and photos of the gilded paintings on the walls.
The event featured a recreation of a 1985 exhibition of Karl Lagerfeld’s work at Fendi, including hundreds of his original sketches and a moving vignette of his famous fur designs. The exhibition had caused an uproar when it first opened, with people feeling that fashion didn’t belong in a museum.
Chiuri has centered her process around the intersections of art and fashion throughout her career, supporting young and established female artists through collaborations and staging shows inside cultural institutions. Her return to Fendi, where she worked from 1989 to 1999 and designed the original Baguette, has been marked by two streamlined ready-to-wear collections.
Chiuri’s hope is to bring the focus back to the clothes and to the foundations of Fendi, with luxury wardrobe essentials and outerwear. She wants to make couture something more freeing and palatable for a wider swath of women, driving home a point about our own relationship to clothes.
Couture, by definition, is art, and Chiuri’s collection was no exception. The first look that made its way down the runway was a sheer, black-and-white striped caftan that billowed delicately behind the model. The dress was inspired by Emilie Flöge, Gustav Klimt’s companion and muse, and specialized in fluid shapes that were the antidote for women who didn’t want to be tortured by corsets.
More effortless, uncomplicated silhouettes followed, including 1920s-inspired drop-waist silhouettes and Deco details. There were gowns in bias-cuts, some designed with transparent lace, leather netting, and fluttery ruffles, all nods to Chiuri’s masterful articulation of feminine strength and sensuality.
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The suiting and outerwear were strong too, with a modern duster coat in black and white being a standout piece. Chiuri translated couture-level tailoring into real-life wardrobe items, making high fashion more accessible and comfortable.
Chiuri’s collection was not just about the clothes, but about the way they make us feel. She wants women to remember that the first thing they desire about clothes is the way they feel on their bodies. “You feel the material is soft on your body, and you feel well,” Chiuri said.
Chiuri’s approach to couture is a shift from the usual focus on flash and spectacle in couture, and instead emphasizes the importance of comfort and freedom. It will be interesting to see how her approach is received.
Chiuri’s collection was a hit with the VIP guests, who were seen wearing their colorful Baguette bags with pride. But the real message of her first haute outing for Fendi wasn’t about flash—it was about freedom. And that’s a message that’s sure to resonate with women everywhere.
Freedom is key.
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