Fendi’s New Era Looks Like an Incredibly Chic Argument

If you are tired of fashion campaigns that look like they were shot on a beach or in a sterile white studio, Fendi’s latest drop is a massive breath of fresh air. This is the very first collection from Maria Grazia Chiuri since she took over, and instead of playing it safe, she teamed up with photographer Jo Ann Callis to create something that feels like a moody indie film about a couple that isn’t talking to each other.

The whole concept is built around the tension of human relationships, honouring the feeling where you want to be close to someone but you’re also totally guarded.

The best part of the collection is Chiuri’s take on a “shared wardrobe.” Instead of designing a completely separate world for men and women, the cuts and tailored suits essentially mirror each other. It is the ultimate execution of borrowing your partner’s clothes because they look better on you anyway. The campaign proves that putting a woman in a heavy, boxy menswear blazer doesn’t make her look masculine and it actually makes the whole vibe feel effortlessly cool and feminine.

To make the photos feel alive, Callis actually sketched out the models’ poses like a piece of contemporary dance choreography drawing massive inspiration from the German dancer and choreographer Pina Bausch. The models are stuck in the same faded, beautiful Roman rooms, but they are frozen in these heavy, awkward silences. They’re physically right next to each other, but emotionally miles apart.

With a backdrop of historic Rome, moody wall sconces and heavy velvet curtains, the whole environment feels entirely cut off from the real world. It’s dramatic, it’s dark, and it is an incredibly exciting sign of where Fendi is heading next.