The eternal beauty of Rome and its composite history are the protagonists of the Fendi Fall 2021 Haute Couture show, reinterpreted by Kim Jones through a modern lens.

“Rome is a fascinating city because it has so many pasts – and I was drawn to Pasolini because I have always been inspired by his vision of the world,” explains Jones. “He is something of an outsider in Roman history, but one whose voice remains constant.”

A collection where nothing is quite as it seems: overlapping temporalities are expressed through embroideries and jacquards, marble textures through draping and trompe l’oeil motifs, pressed leather pleats capture the illusory spirit of Bernini’s sculptures.

Overlapping temporalities are most directly expressed within pieces that reanimate antique garments, their furs and fabrics scanned and reprised as ghostly silk jacquards. Inset with Cornely embroidery and crystal beads, they locate a poetic transfiguration of the past within the present day.

Elsewhere, life is breathed into the Roman statues that surround the Fendi Palazzo, their marble drapery now expressed through trompe l’oeil silks, and the arches they inhabit adapted into the heels of shoes. The strength of their silhouettes is translated into delicate lace mini dresses, where classic volutes are conjured through intricate embroidery.

Formed from Italian marble, hand-carved jewelry ripples with movement, as if frozen in time.