Fendi Just Revived the “Half-Suit” & It Stole the Show
Fendi's panoramic headquarters inside the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana served as the spectacular stage for the label's effortlessly elegant SS22 collection on Saturday.
“How you see things – and from where you see them – has never been more important,” says Silvia Venturini Fendi. “Our singular point of view in this period has modified our perception of the world – and mine has become so linked to what I see from the arches and the rooftop of our building. It is almost like a bird’s eye view of Rome from here. The colors and the perspective are always changing – the soft palette of the Roman sky across the day is so beautiful and I wanted it to be a focal point of this collection.”
As day transitioned into night, Fendi unveiled breezy silhouettes and a subtle palette that echoed the transient skies. There's plenty for the accessory addict, and noteworthy shorts whose cargo pockets functioned both as storage and expandable frill — but the cropped top suit jacket is by far, the standout. We've been heralding the crop-top revival for quite some time now, but Fendi has put a whole new spin on it. Or maybe not so new?
The silhouette in question has drawn high (Pippa Garner’s 1982 “Half-Suit”) and lowbrow (Sasha Baron Cohen's Bruno) comparisons since yesterday's SS22 runway show in Rome. Just as, 40 years earlier, artist Pippa Garner’s “Half-Suit” retained crisp formality in the neck/collar/tie lapel area while offering an “abbreviated midsection for comfort and physical flair,” Fendi's wool jackets are cropped at the torso or split with nylon organza, to similar effect.
The hybrid summer suit highlights the label's interplay of lightness and ease with a laser-sharp focus on the future of luxury. It's both absurd and elegant, and exactly the kind of ironic, androgynous energy we want to see integrated into post-lockdown wardrobes. Case in point: this midriff-baring, cropped tailored jacket and belly chain-combo.
Elsewhere, pockets drop beneath hemlines and jackets unbutton down the hips. Below the waist, multi-pocket city shorts define the silhouette alongside straight trousers that are split at the ankle or paneled in a binary of double cotton and suede.
New outerwear showcases the prowess of the Fendi leather atelier, with vented trench coats, roomy windcheaters, and overshirts punctuated by Selleria stitching and embossed detailing on reversible suede, calfskin, and garment-dyed cotton.
Evolving from the molded Fendi Flow sneaker, buckled sandal styles join a monochrome slip-on knit sneaker with injected appliqué details in a pastel palette. Soft suede desert boots with FF logo buckles expound upon the season’s outdoor inspirations alongside flatform wicker double strap sandals finished in plush details or Selleria stitching.
