In an opulent game of texture and technique, the Fendi Fall 2018 Couture collection dances between sublime tradition and new realities in couture.

Exquisite fabrics blurred the lines of memory as frayed organza and fringed chiffon become trompe l’oeil surfaces and sintesi mosaics or gheronato chevrons create featherweight shells of tufted cashmere, shaved mink and shearling. Innovation illuminated a precious future, where the Orphist approach to ‘pure painting’ is tempered by Neoclassical rigour.

The collection featured plenty of the authentic article, as well.Tthe emphasis was on thinking differently. Coats were the exception, not the rule. And a shaved mink inlaid with shearling spirals and boasting a fox shawl collar was indeed truly exceptional. The focus though was more on dresses, like a marabou feather frock in ballerina-pink with a caged waist that was the very definition of downy. Delicate crochet and even finer lace looked spiderweb-light.

The minaudière clutches were made from alternative resources — thermoplastic, to be exact — but still convincingly exuded a sense of high-end glamour, such as marble, malachite and mother-of-pearl.

Go backstage at the Couture Fall 2018 runway show in Paris and discover the new process of Fendi.