Fendi is the latest fashion house to have its runway show invaded by an activist.
A Peta protester stormed the autumn/winter 2024 catwalk at Milan Fashion Week holding a sign saying: ‘Animals are not clothing’ with ‘Turn your back on animal skin’ written on their back.
Peta posted a video of the incident on Instagram with the caption: ‘Behind every fur gilet, crocodile-skin bag, or calf-leather shoe is a vulnerable animal who felt pain and fear and didn’t want to die.’
Fendi was founded as a fur and leather shop in Rome in 1925 – fur continues to be a centrepiece of the brand’s collections.
Peta has been targeting some of the biggest shows of fashion month – at the recent Coach presentation at New York Fashion Week, a protester walked onto the runway holding a sign saying: ‘COACH: Let Cows Live’.
In December 2023, the British Fashion Council formally bannned fur at London Fashion Week – the first of the four main fashion cities to do so.
At the Fendi show, security swiftly removed the protester off the catwalk, and the show went on largely uninterrupted.
Fendi kicked off a jam-packed Milan Fashion Week schedule, showing an understated yet highly luxurious collection.
The opening look very much set the tone for things to come, with the model wearing an incredibly chic and well-tailored black coat with black leather boots, clutching a classic beige baguette bag.
Impeccable tailoring ran throughout the collection, with experimentation seen in the innovative ways creative director Kim Jones played with knitwear.
Woollen knits were deconstructed and worn in unusual ways – a highlight was the silhouettes of jumpers stuck to the front and back of a model’s top.
This was just one of the slight hints of the surreal seen in the collection – another being models wearing bodysuits with the poppers at the bottom hanging loose.
But make no mistake – this was not a challenging collection. Instead, it very much felt like the everyday wardrobe for the super rich – while there was the odd motif of a classic art piece, outfits tended to be in block colours.
Accessories were typically standout – Delfina Delettrez Fendi, who is fourth generation in the Fendi fashion empire – was responsible for the jewellery, with models wearing chunky necklaces and geometric earrings.
Leather riding-style boots permeated the collection – with a yellow thigh-high pair providing a welcome flash of colour amidst what was a fairly muted collection.
Fendi also made a case for the hairstyle of the season. Models – if they weren’t wearing luxurious tops with built-in hoods – had their hair slicked back into two low buns, a style that would be fairly easy to replicate at home.
English designer Jones came out and accepted applause at the end, looking casual in jeans, cap and a bomber jacket – and we can only imagine he’s gone straight back to work, as he’s also artistic director for Dior menswear.
Fendi has had a big week – Back To Black star Marisa Abela wore a black silk gown by the brand to the recent Baftas, while actor Anya Taylor-Joy donned a silver crop top and champagne pencil skirt from Fendi Couture to the British Vogue afterparty.
