The omnipresent voice of Anna Fendi filled the air at the venue of the Fendi Spring Summer 2025 show, declaring, “Fashion must remain a mirror of culture’” while models glided around the space, draped in designs that paid homage to pivotal cultural eras, including a striking nod to the exuberance of the Roaring Twenties. The year was 1925—significant not only as the founding year of Fendi but also as the dawn of modernism in design, fashion, and culture.

For Spring, Kim Jones honored Fendi’s centennial with a collection celebrating the Roman house’s hundred-year legacy. Central to the collection was the interplay between the artisanal and the industrial—the convergence of hand-craftsmanship and machine-made precision. This duality was evident in light, flapper-cut tea dresses, meticulously embroidered to embody both couture finesse and robust yet harmonious gemwork. The technique also extended to a resized version of the iconic Fendi Baguette, which appeared on the runway in embroidered suede.

The celebratory air of Fendi’s centennial seemed to bring a clearer vision of the Fendi woman under Kim Jones. Though the styling occasionally felt deceptive—marked by an overemphasis on practicality, with Red Wing boots making sporadic appearances—the collection successfully navigated the various eras the house has witnessed. Jones’s deep dive into research, literature, and archival study paid off, translating historical inspiration into a modern lexicon. Timeless shirting and tailored jackets radiated a sense of permanence, echoing Fendi’s enduring legacy over its hundred years in fashion.

After completing their rounds, the models entered a colossal black cube positioned at the center of the venue—white, serene, and outlined in steel. In retrospect, the abstract structure echoed much of what the collection aimed to convey: prominent silhouettes and construction balanced with lightness and fluidity. Whether by design or coincidence, as the final model disappeared into the cube, its walls descended, unveiling an altar-like scene with models posed in a composition worthy of a painting. Modern machinery was used to reveal designs steeped in history—a striking irony.