A sense of quiet beauty and serenity inspired by Silvia Venturini Fendi’s profoundly personal reflection on the current mood and moment permeated the Fendi SS21 collection.
Rigorous silhouettes, bright tones, and retro details demonstrate Fendi’s signature penchant for unexpected contrasts. Crisp cotton and lightweight linen are elevated into a whole new realm of luxury in the Fendi SS 2021 collection.
On 23 September, Fendi was the first luxury Maison to organize a physical show during Milan Fashion Week, unveiling both its Women’s and Men’s collections for Spring-Summer 2021. In the intimate ambiance of its Milan showroom, with members of the very small audience seated a meter apart, the Rome-based Maison revealed Silvia Venturini Fendi’s latest designs in an airy, paired-down scenography.
@fendi SS 2021@fendi SS 2021
The audience – in person or online – watched as, between light curtains billowing in a gentle breeze, looks for both men and women played on a subtle palette of white, beige, black and pastel tones, highlighted with sky blue and cardinal red. For Silvia Venturini Fendi, the collection conjured a patchwork of memories of time spent quietly at home with family. Thus, the shadow cast by a window when one is inside looking out was printed on garments in a game of transparency and texture.
From tailoring to leatherwork heritage, the Fendi Spring Summer 2021 collection showcased Italy’s enduring traditions and techniques – many of them passed down through generations of artisans.
For accessories, the “hand-in-hand” Baguette project celebrated the collaboration between Silvia Venturini Fendi and artisans from the Abruzzo and Marche regions, famous for their mastery of intricate, traditional techniques with lace and wickerwork.
@Fendi Frenesia Baguette 2020 project; Produced by FASHION TO MAX; Creative director Maxim Sapozhnikov; Photo by Stepan Filenko See Less.
Fendi Frenesia Baguette
The Fendi Frenesia Baguette range is brought to life through the exclusive leather-scenting technique, created by the Maison Francis Kurkdjian and Silvia Venturini Fendi, and the accompanying 5 ml vial of perfume to intensify the fragrance or extend its lifespan for up to four years. The first scented Fendi baguette bag was launched last year. FendiFrenesia Baguette is much more than an accessory: it has grown into an immersive experience that explores the senses of touch, sight, and smell.
@Fendi Frenesia Baguette 2020 project; Produced by FASHION TO MAX; Creative director Maxim Sapozhnikov; Photo by Stepan Filenko See Less.@fendi SS 2021@fendi SS 2021
“Gentle Fluidity” perfumes duo by Maison Francis Kurkdjian are two distinct scents created from the same list of ingredients. When perfumer Francis Kurkdjian overdoses some ingredients, he under doses others because fragrances, like all the things that move us, are essentially about balance and expected effects… “No more feminine or masculine. There … Read more
Paris’ Place Vendôme with its 28 private ‘hotel particuliers’ – little palace/manor houses- is not only perhaps the most prestigious place to live in the city but has certainly been the best Parisian address for any high jewellery house to be since the opening of the Ritz hotel in 1898 at number 15. The Kering-owned House of Boucheron became the first Haute Joaillerie Maison to open its doors opposite the Ritz in 1893 under its jeweller-founder, Frédéric Boucheron.
Today the Place Vendôme consists mostly of corporate-owned maisons and almost no living founder jewellers behind them other than the highly respected American-born Lorenz Bäumer and the secretive Joel Arthur Rosenthal. Given the dangers of the profession, one can well understand the need to be secretive.
For many years, the young Bäumer – whom Forbes France dubbed Le Petit Prince De La Haute Joaillerie (The Little Prince of High Jewellery) (1) -had a studio at no.4 Place Vendôme that not just anyone could visit. His name was built by word-of-mouth only, yet it led to Bäumer being invited to create the outstanding collection that was to herald Chanel’s incredibly successful entry into high jewellery on the opening of its boutique at no.18. The impact of his innovative creations shook the Place Vendôme down to its very foundations causing the major houses to rush out to recruit artistic directors and return to innovating again.
Chanel eventually opened their very own fine jewellery workshop located above their boutique in 2013, just as Louis Vuitton was announcing that it too was entering into high jewellery and would be based at no.23. Vuitton had employed Lorenz Bäumer as their artistic director – the chosen one who could give the famous French luxury house legitimacy in this field.
It took 20 years at Chanel Joaillerie and 10 years at Louis Vuitton before Bäumer would set out to focus on his own maison. He had already succeeded in having four exceptional pieces being bought for the permanent collection of France’s top jewellery Museum, the Musée Des Arts Décoratifs, Paris thus raising his name to the level of Francois Kramer, one of the best jewellers that France has ever produced, and had been named an Officier de l’Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French Ministry of Culture in 2012, a very high honour to receive in France. Not only that, he had beaten all the famous houses on the Place Vendôme in a blind competition to design an exceptional tiara for the much televised wedding of Her Serene Highness The Princess of Monaco. The House of Monaco had historically appointed Van Cleef & Arpels for Princess Grace’s tiara.
Until now, it has been almost impossible to meet Lorenz Bäumer himself but 2018 marks the year that he has reached out by being the only young creator to be shown at the prestigious Biennale in Paris (2) and perhaps one the few French high jewellery houses to show at the prestigious PAD (the Pavillion of Art & Design) in London. The difference to many of the jewellery designers of today is that Bäumer is not only a designer and a visionary, he’s a trained engineer and brings his scientific knowledge into the field of haute jaoillerie to achieve creations that the mainstream luxury houses cannot even imagine. What’s more is that he is alive and well and clients can meet him directly, including some visitors to his boutique who have wandered in without appointments.
Fleurs olfactives uniques by Lorenz Bäumer; photos: lorenzbaumer.com
Bäumer understands that the Place Vendôme can be intimidating for many and is doing whatever he can to revolutionise the welcoming process by making an effort to meet those who visit and by showing a total transparency. He is happy to present his incredible transformable pieces and explain where every stunning stone comes from, where his inspirations came from, the hidden stories in his creations, his love of surfing and nature, his interpretations of poems, fruits, vegetables and of course, mineralogy. He is even openly showing prices on the website and is considering the same for his windows – very shocking for the Place Vendôme!
Bäumer is happy to receive millennials and to assist in transmitting knowledge to them and even personalising creations for them whether it be through 3D hidden messages in pieces, some in morse code or tattooed diamonds, or daguerreotyped timepieces with ‘me-lennial selfie’ images on their faces. With an average of 250 pieces per year, we are not speaking about industrially-produced goods that can be found everywhere. Every piece is considered to be meaningful.
Perhaps more surprising for some, is his invitation to clients to compare selected Japanese whiskies with Scottish ones whilst pairing them with famous chef, Alain Ducasse’s delicious chocolates! Perhaps that is why some of his favourite gemstones have colours that remind us of whisky or the sea. What remains a secret surprise is that he has created a signature perfume – presumably with his perfumer friend Francis Kurkdjian – that is not for sale but only offered as a gift to his clients. Any link to the aromas of chocolates, whisky, stone colours or surfing?
Let there be no doubt about it, Lorenz Bäumer has well earned his reputation as ‘The Little Prince of High Jewellery’ but he is disrupting the old order nevertheless, and to the old guard he certainly is the ‘enfant terrible’ that just won’t go away. Who knows, it may get worse. He could well become the Cartier of tomorrow!
Burberry, the global luxury brand with a distinctive British identity, unveiled the new Burberry Her campaign starring British actress and model Cara Delevingne, photographed by German artist and fine-art and fashion photographer Juergen Teller in London. Cara Delevingne is captured by Jurgen Teller in a series of candid images around her home town of London, … Read more
Here are the new fragrances of Fall/ Winter 2018-2018 that you don’t explain, you simply feel them. Parfums Givenchy unveils new L’Interdit Eau de Parfum More than 60 years after the original creation, Parfums Givenchy writes a new chapter for this iconic fragrance with a resolutely modern eau de parfum. Created by Hubert de … Read more
The first wave of reservations has been a true success and most tickets were booked in a few minutes, announced LVMH luxury group. 56 LVMH Maisons, 77 exceptional places – including 40 venues that have never been open to the public during the Journées Particulières – in 14 countries on five continents over three … Read more
