For fall/winter 2023, creative director of accessories Silvia Venturini Fendi partnered with Italian fashion designer Stefano Pilati to curate and showcase a diverse array of bags. Pilati, who was the head designer at Saint Laurent for nearly a decade and the founder of contemporary ready-to-wear brand Random Identities, has amassed a prestigious reputation within the fashion industry. His works are known to inject intrigue and modernity into classic designs, as seen in the accessories this season.
Pilati and his team took a a cinematic and guided approach to the collection, with each bag being a symbolic representation of its wearer’s personality. Plenty of house signatures returned, albeit reimagined in new renditions. The recognisable FF buckle takes a unique position on the sides of the new Baguette Twist, and is constructed out of a supple nappa leather that is uniquely colour-blocked.
The Fendi Boston 365 bag is reintroduced with a magnetic opening and hammered leather, boasting a modern and sleek design perfect for the contemporary woman. Duality was also omnipresent throughout the collection, evident in the concept and construction of the Origami bag and the dual-pocketed Peekaboo that features a variety of exotic materials. Lastly, a soft and unstructured version of the Baguette makes its debut, featuring a bold metallic script embossed with the emblematic Fendi logo. Its handle can also double as an ornament to be worn on the shoulder strap, offering new-found versatility in the way that it can be carried.
The colours for this collection ranged from simple monochromatic tones of black and white to a rich palette of reds, khaki, navy and green. Contrasting the “masculine” colours are softer shades of blush rose and pale grey, making striking appearances in both the accessories and ready-to-wear.
Offering a closer look at these coveted accessories, Vogue Singapore spotlights some of the key bags from the collection, with striking black-and-white imagery that sees a nod to experimental photography popular in the 1920s. The images highlight the unparalleled craftsmanship of the maison, from the leather interlace workmanship seen throughout all the bags to the reinterpretation of archive monograms such as the mini FF interlace on the Peekaboo. The result is a celebration of the class and elegance present at the house, but with a fresh twist to some of its timeless favourites.
Photography Chong Ng
Styling Jasmine Ashvinkumar
Photographer’s assistant Alif
The December ‘Carouse’ issue of Vogue Singapore is available for sale online and in-store from 14 December 2023.
