The Fendi x Versace link-up, cheekily referred to as “Fendace” — which debuted on the runway back in September — is landing in stores on May 12 It will debut through “a series of global pop-ups and events which encapsulate the decadence of the Fendace experience,” according to a press release. The Fendace pop-ups will be held in cities including Paris, Tokyo, New York, London, Los Angeles and Kuwait, amongst a few others, and the full collection can only be accessed at these stores.
Instead of dropping the entire collection in one go in mid-May, the luxury houses have scheduled a comprehensive rollout of the coveted collection, fanning the flame of hype throughout summer. The swap between the two brands will be presented at both Fendi and Versace online and retail boutiques in separate collections. Select “Versace by Fendi” items will be sold at Fendi, while “Fendi by Versace” will be sold at Versace. A collection of the Fendace co-branded looks will be available for sale from both fashion houses.
As part of the partnership or swap, Donatella Versace created the Fendi lineup and conversely, Kim Jones, Fendi’s artistic director of couture and womenswear, designed the Versace collection. Both collections are developed keeping in mind the pre-fall 2022. “It’s a swap rather than a collaboration and, most of all, it is done out of friendship,” Kim Jones said in a statement. “It is the beauty of togetherness after time apart and a celebration of women who have inspired me so much,” the designer added.
The culmination of the collaboration features ‘Versace by Fendi’ and ‘Fendi by Versace’, two iconic collections that celebrate the brands’ artistic legacy from the perspective of Kim Jones and Donatella Versace. All the items will have the ‘Fendace’ logo embellished on them, further cementing the brands’ partnership.
Exuding bold styles and statement colours, the ‘Fendace’ collection brings to life a collective vision of Kim and Donatella, retaining both the brands’ classic design cues. From reimagined Peekaboo handbags to chunky golden Trigreca sneakers, the co-branded collection features items such as oversized hoodies, baggy shorts, loose-fitted T-shirts, shiny heels, knee-high boots and figure-hugging bodysuits – perfect for a model-off-duty look.
To mark the 12 May release date, a flashy Fendace celebratory campaign was launched in late April. This star-studded marketing campaign was filmed by acclaimed photographer Steven Meisel and also comprised videos from filmmaker Alec Maxwell. “The campaign captures the same sense of friendship and energy we had when we were designing the collection,” said Donatella Versace, Chief Creative Officer of Versace, in a statement. “Kim is a visionary designer and innovator. To me, Fendace will always mean love,” she added.
The creative advertisement campaign videos feature a series of high-profile supermodels including Naomi Campbell, Kristen McMenamy, Adut Akech, Amar Akway, Anja Rubik, Anok Yai, Imaan Hammam and Lina Zhang. In the videos, the models are seen entering a ‘Fendace’ nightclub sporting the new collection, with Campbell and McMenamy serving as bouncers to the year’s hottest fashion party.
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