WORDS BY LUC CORMIER

Chiuri’s debut is a mixed bag(uette)

Maria Grazia Chiuri debuted her first Fendi show in Milan. The Fall show was interesting to me, at least. Fendi showed 80 looks this season, which is a lot. I usually prefer 30-60; I’d rather all the fat be trimmed. It seems like Fendi has fallen out of the zeitgeist in recent years. I can’t decide, based on this debut, whether Chiuri is totally up for the challenge of bringing Fendi back. 

Look 56 appears to be made of lace at first glance, but is actually intricately cut leather applied onto a netting. I love this technique of taking something traditionally so masculine and turning it into something feminine. Chiuri always plays with gender in a very conceptual way, even if the result isn’t always savoury to the masses. I loved the use of the technique on Look 57 baguette and the dress on 60.Umberto Fratini // Gorunway.com

I loved how Chiuri used fur in this show; it seems like fur is popular right now. I hope that this fur was ethically sourced (recycled). Look 18 with the black fur collar was really compelling, who doesn’t love a trenchcoat?  I think the many ways designers have been reinventing it have been exciting, but I’m ready for another subversion now. The menswear version in Look 37 was also great. 

Look 20 felt like it was trying to appeal to young people, and it’s so close. There’s just something off. Maybe the cargos are cut weirdly or photographed weirdly. I don’t like the shirt they styled it with. However, I love the fur and embellished vest. 

 The patchwork fur jacket in Look 38 is insane. The layering of the fur is really cool, and even the different treatments are great. Texturally stunning. 

I did not like the jumpsuit in Look 45. These zippers are so strange; they do not look utilitarian, just kind of uninteresting. The bag they paired with, however, is awesome, more fur, more fun.

Look 56 appears to be made of lace at first glance, but is actually intricately cut leather applied onto a netting. I love this technique of taking something traditionally so masculine and turning it into something feminine. Chiuri always plays with gender in a very conceptual way, even if the result isn’t always savoury to the masses. I loved the use of the technique on Look 57 baguette and the dress on 60.

The show finished with several evening looks that did not strike me. I wasn’t offended or delighted. I liked the fur collars on Looks 75, 76, and 77, though. The use of fur throughout the collection was wonderful. 

The bags are pretty great for the most part. I liked all the baguettes she designed. A clear standout baguette was pink, orange, blue, and green, beaded and sequined; Deranged, but amazing. 

The cut of the pants was sublime. I loved the slouchy-but-slim denim. Subtle flares and boot cuts. The baggier suit pants were amazing. Look 21 had a pair of black slouchy suit pants that I loved. I think that these pants were all very smart, not too baggy to scare off older clientele, but baggy enough to keep younger clients interested. The suit jackets were kind of boring to me, no interesting cuts or shapes. 

I thought this collection was definitely cohesive and had interesting moments, but it lacked real impact. I have hope that Chiuri will do some more interesting things at Fendi, because this already seems like a better fit for her than Dior.