Maria Grazia Chiuri presents a cinematic spectacle for her first ever Fendi Cruise collection

Maria Grazia Chiuri might have been named Chief Creative Officer of Fendi in 2025, but her journey with the House didn’t start there. In fact, she first joined the Italian Maison over three decades earlier, so it makes sense that her debut Cruise collection would be a love letter to the brand’s history. Instead of looking back on her own journey, however, she looked to Karl Lagerfeld. Specifically, Histoire d’Eau: the first ever fashion film, commissioned to present the former Creative Director’s first Fendi ready-to-wear collection.

Just like the film that inspired it, Chiuri’s film, Beyond the Mirror, is set in Rome: the Eternal City and Fendi’s ancestral home. It follows Suzie, a remarkably well-dressed protagonist, as she wanders through an abandoned building, coming into contact with other fashionable city-dwellers.

Like a sultry black swan, the divine Suzie dons a black feathered ensemble. Simple but powerful, this sets the tone for the rest of the predominantly monochrome collection. Instead of using the Cruise collection as an opportunity to explore colour, as many Houses do, Chiuri explores texture. Structured leather, fluid satin and warm wool engage in a complex dialogue that is not necessarily linear, but is wholly Fendi. 

The through-line of the collection is the idea of a shared wardrobe, with men and women walking side-by-side in matching clothes. It embodies Fendi’s identity as the heritage fashion house renowned for keeping up with contemporary culture, and evokes Chiuri’s “Less I, more us,” vision for the brand. Of course, Cruise collections are typically associated with high-glamour, so traditional sequined and fur accessories are thrown in for good measure. 

Overall, Beyond the Mirror presents a vision of Rome that is in dialogue with both the ancient past and the current culture. It’s sexy, powerful and unmistakably Fendi.