Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi are continuously introducing visionary spins on the 87-year old house’s traditions. This year, sculptures by Anish Kapoor inspired Fendi‘s Spring/Summer 2013 collection.
The Indian born artist’s distinctive reflective metal surfaces and negotiation with space dispense visual thrills and endless engagement. Kapoor suspends the scope between perception and experience, between two and three dimensions. The play between surface and depth is a familiar trait of his articulations of void forms as seen in his Sky Mirror, a breathtaking, 35-foot-diameter concave mirror made of polished stainless steel or the Orbit, a 377-foot sculpture and observation tower in the Olympic Park in London.
Referencing Kapoor translated in the collection through the sculptural aspect of Fendi’s silhouettes and geometric cuts, not to mention the continued overlapping of hemlines, which added depth and a three dimensional aspect to the collection. The Fendi design team used revolutionary techniques such as saldatura (electrical welding) instead of traditional stitching to create pieces that appear to be seamless. “There are no machines; it’s all by hand,” Fendi said.
Lagerfeld called the colors “violent pastels” which embodies the same emotional impact of color as form that drives Kapoor’s work. The homage to the artist becomes even more evident in the architecturally crafted open-toe shoes, sling backs, and pumps – from three tiers of mustard, peach, and camel to vibrant yellow pumps with tricolor pyramid studded heels highlighting the art-and-fashion inspiration.
