In fashion, few things hit quite like a centennial. One hundred years is a long time—long enough for a brand to evolve, shift, and, in the case of Fendi, redefine luxury while never forgetting its roots. For the Fendi Fall 2025 ready-to-wear collection, artistic director Silvia Venturini Fendi steers the ship into its next era, but not in the way you’d expect. Instead of a nostalgia-fueled archive dive, she’s giving us something far more personal: her own memories of what Fendi has been and what it means now.
The setting? A mirage of the past and future, unfolding in the newly opened Spazio Fendi in Milan. Think of it as a reimagined version of the Italian heritage label’s original boutique and atelier on Via Borgognona in Rome, where the five Fendi sisters—Alda, Anna, Carla, Franca, and Paola—worked and played. It’s where haute couture clients came for meticulously crafted pieces by day and where Rome’s Cinecittà elite mingled by night.
This season, the Italian maison leans into its signature contradictions: ironic yet serious, sensual yet structured, traditional yet subversive. A flared coat is worn as a dress, cinched with a slim gold belt, while trompe l’oeil shearling mimics the richness of fox and mink without actually being either. There’s an obsession with shape—the hourglass waist appears in balza skirts and flounced corolla jackets, while menswear coats wrap around the body with hidden martingales, creating a silhouette that feels at once operatic and effortless.
And then there’s the color story, as rich as a Roman sunset. Laurel and forest greens, deep graphite, and petrol blues set the stage before giving way to the warmth of cinnamon, terracotta, and dusty rose. It was all about contrasts: matte versus shine, heavy versus feather-light, tailoring versus fluidity. Satin skirts ripple with quilted waves, and sheer Chantilly lace unexpectedly disrupts a pinstriped men’s shirt. Fendi plays with texture the way an artist layers paint—boldly, intuitively, masterfully.
The accessories lineup is just as decadent, dipping into the archives with a modernist twist. The Giano bag—a two-tone, moon-shaped clutch—feels both retro and futuristic, while the return of the 2005 Spy Bag in sorbet-toned shearling is a love letter to Y2K luxe. The Peekaboo and Baguette remain house staples, reimagined with disco sequins and plush suede fluting. For men, a new duffel, the Lui, emerges alongside a soft Cuoio Romano hobo, merging function with indulgence. And because Fendi is not one to shy away from maximalism, the jewelry collection—designed by Delfina Delettrez Fendi—glimmers with movement, featuring snake-chain collars, chandelier earrings, and obelisk pendants that catch the light with every turn.
The show itself opened with a sentimental nod: the twin sons of Delfina Delettrez Fendi, Dardo and Tazio, stepping through the doors in replicas of an equestrian ensemble first worn by Silvia Venturini Fendi at age seven. A generational full circle moment, if ever there was one.
Of course, a milestone like this calls for a celebration, and Fendi’s centennial show had no shortage of star power. Supermodels Adriana Lima and Doutzen Kroes took to the runway, while the front row brimmed with friends of the house, including Sarah Jessica Parker, Elizabeth Olsen, Balqees Fathi, Naika, and Jade Thirlwall. The energy carried on into the night, with none other than Sean Paul taking the stage at the after-party, ensuring the celebration was as unforgettable as the collection itself.
Read Next:
No Creative Director? No Problem—The Gucci Fall 2025 RTW Collection Keeps the Legacy Alive
