Fendi Fashion Show Milan Womenswear SS2016

There were no references in Fendi’s show. “Retro is over”, stated Karl Largerfeld backstage. And he might just be right. When will fashion be done with the looking back and using bygone decades as an inspiration? Like always Karl Lagerfeld (and his design partner at Fendi Silvia Venturini Fendi) took the lead and decided that time is now. And so their SS2016 collection felt fresher than a daisy.
Would you think every possible piece of fashion has already once been designed, Fendi proved there’s still so much newness to explore. Like those billowy skirts and leather harnesses, like high waisted pants and leather tops done in a palette of black, army green, air force blue and Soviet red. Like those high necks and puffy sleeves. Silhouettes were soft, feminine and billowy in contrast to the show’s urban (concrete everywhere) backdrop. Floral embroideries, whip stitching, braided and smocking effects turned every look into a one of a kind. Toughness vs femininity.
And if you thought those high necks were a Victorian reference or those strong shoulders must have been inspired by the eighties. Well, they were not. “When tradition meets the future, you don’t know what period anything is from”, Karl stated.
What a refreshing way of looking at fashion just like it is. No eighties, nineties or Victorian references here. Just 2016 exquisite summer wear like you’ve never seen before.