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Fendi: Molto Moderno
By: Godfrey Deeny
Photos by Gruber-FWD
Milan, Jun 25, 2002/FWD/ --- There have been plenty of English influences seen early
on in the Italian men's collections in Milan this season, as witnessed at Fendi on Monday,
where both mods and Mediterranean dandies dominated the proceedings.
In a strong performance for Fendi, bright Carnaby Street pinstripe suits with peg leg pants
worn with pointy shoes were the dominant silhouettes.
And this being Fendi, the leather trench coats, calfskin bomber jerkins and safari jackets
were excellent throughout.
"We are trying to be really focused so that everything that we produce says Fendi," the
house's managing director Giancarlo De Risio explained just before the show started in the
house's custom-built space.
This collection succeeded in doing just that.
However, the dual influences did lead to a somewhat schizophrenic, hit or miss collection
where the ridiculous followed the sublime.
A pair of beautifully cut pony express bags with saddle stitching was followed by two
outlandish patchwork leather messenger sacks; and right after a brilliant black tuxedo worn
with silver snakeskin pants came some awful red-and-white-striped tops that begged to be
edited out.
Though Mod in their choice of shaggy-haired style, the Fendi man still has enough money
to charter a yacht in Sardinia.
He's a high roller who can easily afford the brilliant
spider-web patterned shoes, superb silk shirtings, silver snakeskin tuxedo pants or the
technically brilliant black denim jacket with a built-in crocodile back.
In short, Fendi presented a thoroughly modern, well-heeled Mediterranean Mod.
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