Is Kim Jones’ Fendi destined for success?

Reversible jackets, blazers trimmed with fur and, of course, more fur. These details were all present in the Fendi Fall Winter 2019 Couture collection; an unfortunate reminder that Karl Lagerfeld’s historic 54-year run with the brand had come to an end. Founded in 1925, Fendi quickly became famous for its fur coats and leather goods. In 1965, Karl Lagerfeld was brought into the house, tasked with the job of bringing back the fun in fur and revolutionising the house for the ever-changing consumer base. He fashioned a sexy look for the brand with a unique ability to repurpose the codes of the house in a contemporary manner, cementing Fendi as one of the industry-leading brands. When the average consumer thinks of Fendi in the present day, three things spring to mind; fur, the Fendi logo and the baguette bag. Three items that the public came to love during Karl’s reign at Fendi. The feat was all the more impressive considering Lagerfeld’s ability to consistently produce acclaimed collections, alongside his duties at Chanel.

This brings us to the legacy of Silvia Venturini Fendi, third generation of the Fendi family. She has been in charge of accessories, menswear and childrenswear at the brand since the 90s. She is the mastermind behind the revered baguette bag, an instant cult classic and a bag design that has stood the test of time. Silvia has worked closely with Karl for over two decades. She knows the business, team and brand culture in and out. If there ever was an ideal successor to Karl Lagerfeld’s mammoth legacy, it was her. Since stepping in as the interim creative director of Fendi, her collections have been nothing short of majestic. It seems as though all the time spent by Lagerfeld’s side had endowed her with a magical touch.

The seemingly undeniable truth is the modern Fendi aesthetic that starts and ends with Silvia Venturini Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld. This may have been put into question when Kim Jones was announced as the new artistic director of Fendi’s haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur collections for women, last month. A surprise to many, the appointment ended all speculation that Silvia Fendi would take the role on a permanent basis—she will however continue in her role as the artistic director of accessories and menswear.

Despite an initially adverse reaction to the news, it was not wholly farfetched to envision Jones at the helm. Kim Jones’ record as a menswear designer, which includes stints at Dunhill, Louis Vuitton and now at Dior Men as the creative director, has been repeatedly demonstrated. He appeals to younger consumers due to his fantastic ability to select culturally relevant collaborators for his collections. At Dior, he has worked with the likes of Yoon Ahn, Matthew Williams and Stephen Jones on hardware and accessories. These are all people that are adored by the budding fashion aficionados. From a design perspective, Jones has always excelled at rejuvenating the heritage of a house into an aesthetic fit for the contemporary fashion market. However, this may also be his Achilles’ heel, often placing him on the radar of fashion critics reprimanding his lack of signature design language.

To say Kim Jones has big shoes to fill would be an understatement. How does one go about impressing a consumer base accustomed to the Kaiser for over half a century? It doesn’t help that Kim Jones will have to juggle his time between working at Dior and Fendi, two fashion behemoths. Nonetheless, in spite of the glaring obstacles, I am very optimistic that Kim Jones will leave his mark and put all the naysayers to shame. Jones is very in touch with both Gen Z and the millennial mindset. With the worldwide Black Lives Matter protests throughout the year, companies are starting to realise that without cultural literacy, their businesses will slowly fade out of relevance. It is no surprise that Prada created a diversity and inclusion advisory council last year. Kim Jones is arguably one of the few designers rarely under fire for cultural appropriation. Recently, we saw Jones collaborate with Ghanaian artist Amaoko Baofo for his Dior Men SS21 collection, proving a certain savoir-faire when it comes to tastefully extracting references from different regions and cultures, in a climate where the majority of his couture consorts can’t seem to get it right. While Jones has previously dabbled in womenswear for his eponymous label in 2004, his body of work has primarily consisted of menswear; the London-born designer is indeed yet to create a womenswear collection worthy of fashion’s high praise. This is a chance for Jones to take his career and legacy to the next level.

Discussing aesthetics and trends, however, is of little relevance when the world seems to be on fire. Filling landfills, ocean pollution and animal brutality are all unfortunate by-products of the fashion industry. Jones has established a reputation as a sustainably conscious designer, for instance, opting for the use of natural indigo dye on denim as opposed to industrial dye. “My personal interest in different cultures and manufacturers has made me look at Indian textiles and embroideries and how we could use different dyes,” Jones said in a 2015 interview, while still at Louis Vuitton. In recent years, the use of animal fur has become highly controversial, with groups such as Extinction Rebellion wreaking havoc on any brand that still uses fur. Regrettably, the material is too imprinted in the Fendi DNA for Jones to successfully and completely shake it off. Instead, what we may soon witness are new sustainable faux fur fabrics, aiming to stand the test of time.

In an industry which consistently sees a small and select group of designers being handed all the opportunities in what can feel like a conglomerate merry-go-round, the pressure is on. Gone are the days when LVMH used to take risks, scouting the best young talent and giving them the keys to some of fashion’s largest brands—with names like Ozwald Boateng, John Galliano and Alexander McQueen coming to mind. Kim Jones is a great if unexpected fit—he makes covetable clothes and relates to the biggest chunk of the consumer base. Will his past successes extend into his work at Fendi? Only time will tell.

Images courtesy of Fendi and Dior.