Fendi Redefines Sexy with Midnight Kisses and Liquid Velvet
From an after-hours short film to weightless fur masterpieces, Maria Grazia Chiuri’s debut makes us fall in love with fashion all over again.
Grab your fans and cancel your plans, because Maria Grazia Chiuri just made her official debut at FENDI Couture Fall/Winter 2026-2027, and let’s just say… it is hot in here.
Forget the stiff, hyper-restrictive runway looks of seasons past. Chiuri’s first collection for the house is an explicit celebration of the body, focusing on clothes that move, breathe and embrace pure sensuality.
If your closet has been feeling a little uninspired lately, FENDI is here to remind us all that fashion should make you feel something.
Before the first model even stepped onto the runway at the Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea, FENDI set the mood with Love Monster, an original short film directed by Valeria Golino. Starring Leila George and Pietro Castellitto, the film was shot after-hours in the stunning gardens of Villa Borghese. Golino described the cinematic vibe as a mix of “kisses and caresses, intimacy and languor,” capturing the romantic, urgent energy of the clothing.
The mood of the night was inspired by a German girl wandering through the historic streets of Rome in the late 1970s. Chiuri pulled references from Histoire d’eau, a legendary 1977 fashion film originally commissioned by Karl Lagerfeld for his very first ready-to-wear collection at FENDI.
In the best news of the season, Chiuri completely rejected the idea that high fashion has to hurt. There wasn’t a single painful corset on the runway. Instead, the collection sculpts the body using liquid drapery, allowing the fabric to glide and caress rather than constrict. The fabrics included liquid velvet, grain de poudre, and weightless chiffon in silhouettes of fluid, oversized kimono jackets designed for both men and women. The drama of the looks came in black and white striped inlays that look like optical illusions in motion.
Heavy winter wear was completely reimagined through a technique of “subtraction.” Think fur stripped down to look as light as feathers, held together by sheer tulle to create a playful, Venus-like aesthetic. We also saw intricate leather labyrinths woven across white double-faced cashmere coats, and men’s capes that billowed like butterfly wings.
Credits:
Images courtesy of Fendi
Words: Roisin Teeling @roisinteeling
Fendi.com
