The Spring 2025 Fendi menswear show kicked off the brand’s centennial celebrations with a collection rich in historical and symbolic references. Silvia Venturini Fendi, diving deep into the archives, brought the past, present, and future of the house into focus, exploring the brand’s codes and symbols. A newly designed house crest took center stage, divided into four sections: the iconic Double-F logo by Karl Lagerfeld, the vintage Pequin stripe, a squirrel symbolizing co-founder Edoardo Fendi’s affectionate nickname for his wife Adele, and Janus, the Roman god of transitions, an emblem Lagerfeld also used.
For its men’s 2025 collection, Fendi swapped its usual Via Solari HQ show space, currently undergoing renovations and expansion, for a studio lot-like venue on the outskirts of Milan. This grand setting featured enormous, remote-controlled mirrored blocks that spun around the runway, reflecting both audience and models. Silvia Venturini Fendi, the creative force behind Fendi’s menswear and accessories, drew inspiration from a deep dive into the house’s archives. As the Roman brand celebrates its 100th anniversary, Venturini Fendi introduced a commemorative crest featuring four of the house’s iconic motifs, including the famous double-F emblem, adorning sweaters and shirts. The collection exuded a varsity vibe, with striped knit rugby sweaters, plaid jackets, school blazers, and playful football shirt interpretations. This season’s designs created a uniform for the Fendi family and its global fanbase to proudly wear during the centenary celebrations.
Fendi’s masterful materiality shone through in suede shirting, light-as-air trenches, and shearling camp collar shirts that seemed cloud-like. Janus, the god of transitions, would have appreciated the meticulously layered hems flowing from sleeves and waistlines. Six mirrored monoliths, resembling deconstructed Double-Fs, moved around the runway, reflecting the models and the collection’s monumental yet dynamic spirit.
A tribute to Karl Lagerfeld was subtly embedded in the penultimate black suit. The show’s transitional continuity extended beyond the runway, with the new CEO Pierre-Emmanuel Angeloglou seated alongside his predecessor Serge Brunschwig. One standout accessory was a large metal-clasped jewel box, adorned with a facade plan of Fendi’s founding store, symbolizing the five Fendi sisters who took over in the late 1940s. “I like numerology,” Venturini Fendi mused. “I was thinking about Delfina [her daughter] and the new generation, so I wanted to include a jewel box. And it’s full of secrets.”
View the entire collection at Fendi.com.
