Fendace (Versace x Fendi) Pre-Fall 2022 Milan

[aracic]

 

[aracic]

Watching Amber bop to Lil Nas at the end was something I didn't even know I needed...

Seeing all those supermodels in one place made me ecstatic! From the moment Kristen opened the show, I knew it'd be spectacular. It was a great casting although the line-up felt quite random. Kirsten, Shalom, Amber, Kate... so good seeing them all! With the Anja Rubik-Lily Donaldson-MCB line-up I really thought they would bring back some other legends from that era, but that was a disappointment unfortunately. Imaan Hammam single handedly annihilated the runway with her walk and attitude. A true superstar!

Now about the actual collection... the menswear was painfully ugly. I don't even have the words to describe it, each time a man would walk out my eyes would feel very attacked. With womenswear, I enjoyed the first part which I suppose was Kim's take? There were lots of nice outfits, I enjoyed the classic Versace black and gold combinations. The second part was a complete disaster. The clothes kept screaming at me and those denims and brightly colored furs? No. No, no, no. It was 2000s in the worst way possible. Far too many logos. And they really set it up for failure after bringing out all the supermodels and then having random models walk for most of the second part. Really didn't think that through... And those dresses on Gigi and Naomi might appear in my nightmares tonight. So damn ugly.

 

[perhydrol]

The first part of the collection was truly wonderful. I'm actually shocked that it had been designed by Jones. I wouldn't want him to be Versace's designer, but as a one-off it was really needed this season. Very unapologetic and loud, but at the same time there was real energy and passion. It was incredibly luxurious, too.

However, the second part was so gross. You can tell that Donatella has been desperate to stay in touch with the young, but the result was sad, bland and lifeless, just like her s/s 2022 collection. Of course there were nods to the early noughties, but it was almost artificial. Maybe it's high time to change her design team? Because this one has been designing collections for a diffusion line and they don't get the Versace codes at all, they've been scratching the surface.

The menswear was totally irrelevant but again, it was Jones who got it better. Same with the accessories. But as I said before, I'm still shocked that Kim Jones produced something this good tbh.

 

[WAVES]

I actually loved most of it!

OTT done right finally!
maybe they should start working together, but only for Versace so Silvia can take the helm of Fendi on her own.

and the cast nice enough too. good to see Lily and Shalom. weird choice of having Kirsten opening the show… where’s Claudia Schiffer ffs?

the only Versace collection we needed this season.

thank you for posting @aracic

 

[Lola701]

As I expected…A fabulous exercise in branding, totally poor in terms of a fashion proposition.

In Fashion, there’s this general consensus that the SUITS have ruined the industry when in fact a lot of designers are responsible for this. I do not know if they are cynical or if they really enjoy this but It makes me sad to see this.

It’s a moment in history of fashion but not because of it fashion impact but more because of the fabulous branding/social media frenzy operation it is.

Back to the collection.

All and all, it was two Versace collections. One by Kim Jones and One by Donatella. Kim IMO felt totally comfortable in the world of Versace than he is at the world of Fendi. Let’s be honest Fendi despite it logos has never been that blingy under Karl. I think it’s fair to say that those brands are speaking to two different audiences even if it hasn’t always been the case.

Donatella’s collection felt more confident I must admit even if Kim had a fresher approach to the codes of the house.
I prefer Donatella’s collection overall tbh because I think it was maybe more honest and straight to the point and the casting made sense.

Having a struggling Kristen open the show doesn’t do it for me. I love seeing Esther and Kate again but I think with Kim we are too used to see that.

I hate the intention behind the collection more than I hate the collection…Let put it that way!

This will sell! Like hot cakes…

 

[bc collector]

Oh jeeezz, don't tell me we have found a place where Kim Jones can work without being a disappointment...

 

[susseinmcswanny]

How much money do they really need to make...

 

[Scotty]

Loved it for the casting. The collection was whatever. Kim Jones' part was better than Donatella's though.

Also, am sick of the yellow/black Versace print. Do they have to use it season after season?

 

[perhydrol]

Donatella Versace, Kim Jones on Why Swapping Brands Is Brave

In a new project unveiled at the tail end of Milan Fashion Week, Donatella Versace designed a Fendi collection and Kim Jones, Fendi's artistic director, created a Versace lineup, both for pre-fall 2022 and available starting in May.

by Luisa Zargani

MILAN — It was a milestone moment — and “something that’s never been done before,” underscored Donatella Versace.

Guests attending the private event held at the Versace headquarters in Via Gesù on Sunday evening were in for a surprise — a full-on creative swap presented on the runway.

Donatella Versace designed a Fendi collection and Kim Jones, Fendi’s artistic director, created a Versace lineup. Both collections are for pre-fall 2022 and will be available starting in May at Fendi and Versace boutiques exclusively.

Ahead of Milan Fashion Week and the event that closed the season here, Versace and Jones met with WWD to reveal the project — and to say the mood was cheerful would be an understatement. Versace, dressed in an orange top under a bright pink pantsuit and wearing supersized platforms, and Jones, in a black top and Bermuda pants, were in great spirits, clearly relishing working together over the past few months and anxious to see the reaction to the collections.

“I love Donatella and I love Versace,” Jones stressed. “I’ve always looked up to Donatella, and Versace is part of the culture I grew up in; it’s a cultural phenomenon. And when things in fashion become cultural, they last for a very long time and that’s very interesting. With Donatella, I don’t know a single person in the world that doesn’t know her and doesn’t fall in love with her when they meet her — that’s Donatella’s magic.”

Versace was equally appreciative, hugging Jones from time to time on the sofa they shared in an office at her Milan headquarters, and even comparing him to a “younger brother.”

“I watch everything around me, especially the new generation of designers, and there are a lot and not everyone is amazing, in my opinion, but some you can see, they jump out of the crowd, and the first one [to do so] was Kim,” said Versace, who’s known for championing young designers for years. “They all have ideas, they see fashion in different ways from other generations, which is normal, but Kim has this background of luxury. He knows what luxury is, he knows how to make it young and accessible to younger crowds, which is not something I find in anybody else, honestly. Maybe there are [others], but I didn’t see them. Kim has a big heart and when he is friends with somebody, he gives everything.”

“Like you,” chimed in Jones.

“Me, I’m the same, that’s why I have few friends, not too many, you have to be careful who you surround yourself with,” Versace said.

The idea of the project was first tossed around in February, at a dinner at Donatella’s house with Jones, Silvia Venturini Fendi and her daughter Delfina Delettrez — laughingly she checks herself for still calling it her brother “Gianni’s house” on Via Gesù. “They never had a proper conversation before then and they just clicked,” Jones recalled.

“Here are two Italian dynasties joining together, Karl [Lagerfeld] was Gianni’s best friend and Karl didn’t have many friends; you could count them on the fingers of one hand. I remember them laughing and talking and making jokes. What I have in my eyes is a moment of happiness,” Versace reminisced, speaking of the longtime Chanel and Fendi designer, who died in 2019. “Everything came naturally. I love Kim’s creativity and his work, it’s young, cool and new and there is quality. He knows how to cut a suit; ideas are one thing, but knowing how to make these ideas become real fashion and special is another thing. He has both.

“Saying that, can you do all of my collections?” she said with a big laugh.

Aware of the rumors circulating a few seasons ago about Jones joining Versace, before he was tapped first by Dior as its artistic director of men’s wear and then by Fendi last year, they moved on to discuss the new project — while not disclosing details about the clothes. “Sorry, we want to keep it as a surprise,” Jones said.

“Everybody is doing collaborations, but this is the brave thing to do, swapping,” chimed in Versace.

As for the show itself, it was a tale in two chapters — almost like a Fashion Face-off, opening with the Versace by Fendi collection that featured all the Versace signatures — the safety pins; the bold Baroque prints on super short dresses, tops and swimsuits as well as sheared fake furs with the Fendi squares and Versace print cut into them, oversize shirts and shorts in men’s wear and the tote with the Medusa — as well as a tote with “Fendace” splashed on the side. But there were also super chic gowns in plain black as well as a pale pink lace sequined number that Gianni himself could have created. And what would Versace be without supermodels — Kate Moss, Esther Canadas, Amber Valletta and Shalom Harlow included?

Jones took his bow, the logos on the wall then flipped from Versace to the Fendi F’s and Donatella took her turn, adding a strong dose of sexy to the brand with short short minis covered in the Fendi logo; mesh dresses; a ’70s denim pantsuit with bell bottoms; Versace-ified Peekabos and Baguettes (including safety pins), and her takes on evening — shimmering long pink and silver gowns worn by Donatella’s share of supermodels: Naomi Campbell, Mariacarla Boscono and Gigi Hadid.

Donatella then took her solo bow, the models lined up against the backdrop in a total blending of the two collections and then the two designers came out arm in arm together.

The swapping goes as far as Fendi producing the Versace collection and vice versa. “It’s part of our strategy, a surprise — we want people to say ‘What?’” Versace said.

The project meant each designer dived into the other brand’s archives. “We looked at the codes and at the present,” Jones explained. “This is our interpretation of what we see. Fendi and Versace have this legacy, and young people are getting into them finding their parents’ clothes. Young girls are going to go completely wild over it,” he predicted.

“I was so proud when he came to [the Italian city] Novara to see the archives, all of Gianni’s work,” Versace said. “I really wanted to show him. So many people see the pictures but not the real clothes.”

Jones agreed. “This was a big, big thing for me, I had only ever seen pictures. It was an honor for me. I did a lot or research on Gianni’s work since that’s where it all started, and I thought of ways to interpret it.”

Asked to elaborate, shrugging, he added: “It speaks to you, that’s all I can say. I don’t know how to describe my work in progress. I just do it, I think about it, then it evolves.”

“And it was the same for me, I went to Fendi and [metaphorically] Karl, the Fendi family were there,” Versace said. “The craftsmanship is incredible and that’s what fashion really is. Karl knew that. If you think fashion is a T-shirt with some writing on top of it, it’s not true. But it’s not only about looking at the archives and the clothes, it’s about having a conversation between us. It’s inspiring to talk to him.”

“Fendi is very much about craftsmanship and what I saw in the Versace archives was about craftsmanship,” Jones said. “Here are two really amazing brands working with each other, two companies that are not owned by the same group, it’s not about money; we all love each other and Silvia feels exactly the same way I do about Donatella.”

Both designers bristled at the idea that anyone could compare this project to the Gucci-Balenciaga hacking last spring, waving away the suggestion.

“It’s a new way to do things, and it means trust and honesty,” Versace said. “I always want to move forward and this was a dream for me.”

“We are both very open, we know things have to change and adapt, we are realistic about what things can happen and this was done pretty quickly. We wanted to do it fast in case someone else came up with the concept,” said Jones, marveling at how production is much faster in Italy than in France given the proximity to the pipeline.

Asked if more collections would follow, Jones demurred from giving a definitive answer. “We don’t know; let’s see how it goes.”

“I’m gonna miss him,” Versace said with a giggle.

Was she surprised by the final result? “I never expected anything he did for Versace,” she said laughing. “I was so happy when I saw the collection. It was a dream.”

“It was done out of love, and Silvia also was really enjoying working with the codes of Versace on the accessories because she’s been Fendi all her life,” Jones said.

“She is amazing; Silvia’s mother was best friends with Gianni — this is a long love story,” offered Versace.

“It’s nice to celebrate, we’ve all gone through very challenging times recently. Paris dominates a lot of fashion so it’s nice to bring [the attention] back to Milan,” Jones said. “It was a pure joy experience, having the best time. I love my job, love coming to Italy to be able to experience it, and the food — which is dangerous,” he concluded with a smile.

from wwd.com

 

[liberty33r1b]

Kim‘s take on Versace is shockingly good....

 

[Joromana]

This is incredibly creative and I'm surprised I actually like some of it! Very bold and daring of both of them to do this, you could tell they had fun in each other's worlds.

Would LOVE to see more of this!

 

[berbe]

The casting is mad!! First gag: Kristen opened the show. Second gag: Kate and Amber walk together. Third gag: Anja - Lily - Mariacarla back to back.

 

[ReneSanchez]

I agree the Kim Jones part for FENDACHE (lol) was quite good, as it merge both brands shockingly good. But the Fendi by Donatella was pure Versace only more horrendous. Also the creative designer behind those stairs at the middle of the catwalk should be fired, poor girls.

 

[jeanclaude]

More clothes! As if their respective disast...err collections weren´t enough! The idea is just as stupid and basic as Gucci X Balenciaga: logo swapping.

Love seeing the 90s models. Amber & Shalom still look like back in the 90s!
The only thing that was strange was the way all the 90s models walked...or is it just me??

 

[GreyVetiver]

Don’t care for the collection but the casting was a pleasant surprise! Looooooved seeing Lily back on the runway!!

 

[THD96]

There is nothing brave about this whole show. Slapping logos on as many items as possible is not brave, it's merchandising 101. "It's not about money". Sure, Jane.

I only like the classic pieces (Kate, Amber, Shalom, etc...). Seriously the amount of logos in this show is just nauseating. The prints are beyond overused that this point. The menswear is irrelevant and is way overshadowed by the women.

The show is entertaining, love to see all the super. But sad to see no men super tho.

Overall I'm not disappointed because I already expected it to look like this. Still waiting for Prada x Philo or Gaultier x Kawakubo, now we're talking.

 

[dontbeadrag]

Ah, yes, let's swap logos, destroy any legacy by mixing the codes of luxury brands (that they kept untouched for decades) just to attract hypebeasts and people who say "i'm into fashun" on Tinder profiles. A logo and ugly pattern galore? Yes. An actual decent collection that you can look at without wanting to take your eyeballs out? No.

Would've been better if this was not a total cash grab and hype train after that Gucci x Balenciaga thing. I hate how the supposed "creativity metiers" of fashion cannot survive even one season without copying each other's ideas.

Stop polluting the planet with even more unnecessary crаp. I do not want Versace x Fendi, Gucci x Balenciaga, Supreme x Louis Vuitton, Jean Paul Gaultier x Sacai, Vivienne Westwood x Andreas Kronthaler, and etc. I want true artistry, I want true fashion, I want people who want to say things through the design of clothing or create artistic pieces.

Do we need Dior or Prada? Not really, it is a luxury, but we do enjoy and want high quality clothing. But this? We do not need this, and only people who'd actually want this are probably nouveau riche or conspicuous consumers who can't wait to scream "Look! I have Gucci, Balenciaga, Versace AND Fendi logos on me with only 2 pieces of clothing! I am such a walking ad, ugh, yassss!"

 

[GivenchyAddict]

Oh Kim, you should've said no to this because Donatella outshined you so easily.

Her part was funnier with better casting, the clothes were more interesting to look at( although quite repetitive of her past collections) and she managed to incorporate the Fendi's DNA smoother than him.

It was overall pleasant to watch but this era of "collaboration" / "hacking" / "swapping" tires me already because it is purely about branding and hype.

I truly enjoyed it when Versus was still there and Donatella championed emerging talents. Could not thank her enough for Christopher Kane, Anthony Vaccarello and JWA. Now with Kim, it is meh. He has nothing more to offer, no newness, no youth and no freshness.

So if she wants so much to collaborate, she should bring back Versus and invite designers such as Casablanca, Nensi Dojaka, Supriya Lele or Maximillian to name a few.

 

[Lola701]

Kim Jones legacy so far is collaboration. No creation or what so ever…
No original work will be sold at Fendi in 2022. Prints of Antonio Lopez on dresses next to Versace prints on dresses.

There’s nothing brave about it. It would have been brave if one of them actually went to the archives to work on something meaningful.

Lacroix and Dries was brave. Because the Dries clientele is the opposite of Lacroix. It was a creative and financial risk.

This is an expected success.

She would have been braver to invite Riccardo to design her collection.
They are really thinking we are idiots…

 

[gazebo]

At first I was thinking it's an Atelier Versace show, like in the good ol' days, and got very excited!
Then I felt like something's up, and finally....this.
It felt cringey cause the concept have already been done recently, and better.
The fashion was certainly lacking; mediocre at best.
The cast was exciting but they deserved better!