FURRY TALES
A sketch of the five Fendi sisters by Lagerfeld When I met the sisters they were known for beautiful furs; very rich, but heavy, typical of the time. They asked me to create furs worn in a different way, modern and fun! Fendi and fun have the same initials; I put the two letters together in less than five seconds. The bourgeois furs disappeared and Fendi created a revolution. This story continues today with amazing furs, realised always with an eye towards the future. You like mistreating furs, experimenting on them. Why? I love to create and experiment to find new solutions, to mix beauty with function. For Spring/Summer ’15, I used a cover gloss, a new kind of elastic plastic that can be removed so you can wear the look with or without it. What’s most exciting about working with traditional fur ateliers and innovative materials? The highest craftsmanship and savoir faire of Fendi artisans mixed with experimentation give birth to unique results. It is fascinating how artisans train almost 10 years before starting. They create art, not just garments; it’s the combination of traditional and innovative techniques with modern fabrics that makes this happen. You and Fendi have created a new word: Haute Fourrure. What does it mean to you? It means very expensive furs and very beautifully worked treatments. It’s Haute Couture for something very classic, and really, it’s the “Royal Furs of Furs”. A sketch for the
Inflatable fur from Autumn/
Winter ’79