A Very Youthful Future At Fendi

About that envelope-pushing: Lagerfeld has made a super-career out of mixing extremely young and new with that of the old. Last season he brought a fully decked-out Chanel supermarket to the catwalk complete with shoppers—ahem, models—in jeweled sneakers, sweats, and crop-tops made out of classic Chanel tweeds and trimmings. For the House of Fendi this season, the designer juxtaposed very youthful silhouettes with more mature lines and concepts. Using a “high frequency” technique with fabrics (less seams, more seamless melding), orchid prints ran rampant on mini dresses and matching cropped jackets. Soft leather tops were slashed in 80s rebellion, revealing very little, but creating an optical illusion. Peter Pan collars solidified that youthful presence, while multilayered separates delivered a more mature submission. Denim made a surprising inception, this textile being a first for Fendi on the runway.

The most note-worthy pieces were the tattered organza-covered mini dresses, one in black and others in pastels, resembling the most adorably chic ostrich we’ve never imagined.