Fendi’s Milan show opener disrupted by animal rights protests

Fendi staged the first major collection of the season in Milan’s fashion season Wednesday afternoon, and animal rights protestors managed to interrupt the show in the third look.

A tough young protestor in a black denim mini and white athletic bra marched onto the head of the catwalk with a sign reading Animals Are Not Clothing. While written with marker directly on her torso it read: Wear Your Own Skin.
 
After making it 10 yards down the runway, she was hustled off by a security staff who pulled down her sign. Before, a half dozen looks later, a separate male protestor tried to scramble his way onto the runway, but was dragged off with a great deal of foul language. 

Fendi one of the most famous fur brands in world, has long been a target for followers of PETA. And security was extremely tight at the show, staged inside Fendi’s Milan headquarters on via Solari. All guests were required to show invitations and IDs. Making it seem a remarkably lax performance by the brand to have their show taken over by the animal militants.
 
The actual collection itself was crisp, concise and packed full of memorable merchandise, as Fendi’s women’s wear creative director Kim Jones concentrated on smart, commercial clothes and accessories.
 

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Blending elements of futurism, Roman architecture, sculptural draping and superlative technique this felt very much like Jones’ best ready-to-wear collection for the house. Subtly combining photo imagery of ancient empresses and Renaissance saints, printed on silk cocktails and pants or even chenille sweaters.
 
“Precious practicality,” commented Jones in his program.
 
Throughout, Jones’ tailoring was crisp, notably the windowpane check blazers, worn audaciously with pirate boots. While in knitwear, Kim ingeniously teased apart Aran sweaters into tentacles that wrapped around the torso – suggesting motion, as the Futurist artist loved to do. 
 
The palette was muted – somewhere between mud, forest green and granite – and hence ideal autumn colors. Meaning also that the collection lacked fireworks, which probably explains the lack of much applause at the finale. The show-space was separated by huge colorful taffeta curtains, so many people never saw Jones take his bow. While in the French section at the head of the catwalk, not a single editor applauded.
 

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The collection was also the first presented by Kim Jones, since the appointment of Michael Burke, as the CEO of the Fashion Group within LVMH. Burke was Fendi’s first CEO after LVMH acquired the brand nearly two decades ago.
 
Burke now has a major new position within the giant luxury conglomerate, overseeing such stellar brands as Celine, Givenchy, Pucci and Kenzo. He did not attend this show, where CEO Serge Brunschwig held court front row. 
 
Following rumors last year that LVMH were in talks with Gucci designer Alessandro Michele to take over at Fendi, there had been enormous speculation about Jones position in the Roman luxury marque.
 
But judging by this collection Jones is not going anywhere anytime soon. Like a proper champion, just when he needed a major collection, Kim served an ace today.