Maria Grazia Chiuri's first collection as chief creative officer of Fendi was billed as a triumphant homecoming, returning the designer to the Roman house where she began her career in 1989 before her celebrated tenures at Valentino and Dior.
Less I, More Us
The collection's philosophy was spelled out across the runway in Italian and English: "Meno Io, Piu Noi" / "Less I, More Us." The phrase captured Chiuri's conviction that fashion is the product of many hands rather than a single creative genius, a pointed counterpoint to the era of the star designer.
One Wardrobe, Not Two
Chiuri showed softer shapes and silhouettes for both men and women, with matching blazers blurring the line between menswear and womenswear. "I wanted one wardrobe, not two," she explained. The result preserved Fendi's century-old codes while making her hand unmistakable in every look.
- The hero Baguette bag returned, soft and unapologetically showy
- A new double buckle lets it be worn tucked under the arm or crossbody
- Tailoring swung from strict to bohemian across the show
- Shared, gender-fluid silhouettes anchored the collection
A Statement on Fashion Itself
Chiuri used the moment to push back against spectacle, arguing that "fashion is not entertainment, fashion is a job." Her restraint was read by many critics as a corrective to several years of drift at the house, restoring a sense of coherence and craft.
Accessories remain Chiuri's strongest territory, and the reworked Baguette, a creation from her first stint at Fendi in the 1990s, anchored the collection commercially and emotionally. Reviewers called it a bona fide hit, a debut that managed to feel both deeply personal and genuinely collective.
For Fendi's owners, the appointment is a bet that experience and emotional intelligence can outperform shock value. Chiuri's homecoming suggests the house is ready to trade noise for narrative, and to let its most iconic objects do the talking once again.