MASTERS OF ILLUSION

Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi create a

To stay on the pulse takes deep intuition and incredible daring. When Fendi debuted its haute fourrure collection in 2015 at Théâtre des Champs-Élysées with a dramatic, almost black-andwhite oeuvre of glossy minks, chinchilla blooms, sable stoles, and gold feathers, it was an elevation of the art, which at that point had devolved into modernistic statements of sporty fabrics and flashy sneakers. Fendi’s long-awaited couture debut—at a very personal time, on the 50th anniversary of Karl Lagerfeld’s tenure at the Roman house—certainly brought back the golden era of couture. The next show, coincidentally for the 90th anniversary of Fendi, at the newly restored Trevi Fountain, no less, took it a notch higher with a fairy-tale collection of fantasy dresses and storybook pages, brought alive in all shades and textures of the finest fur, as the models “walked on water”. How does one top off the epitome of extravagance? You don’t. Never one to look back, and always futureforward, Lagerfeld turned everything on its head with Fendi Haute Couture Autumn/Winter ’18—the renaming already indicative of the recalibration. What a privilege to have upfront access to the surface value of every creation, each as individual as they came with the opening ’60s-styled mink coat of vibrant Orphist strokes, citing Czech artist František Kupka’s graphic art and colour palette, with painterly FFs deliquescing into the landscape, into a skirt suit of graphic strips of bright fur. A few more collage-fur masterpieces punctuated by a vermillion dress with a tan fur stole, and then into a sumptuous narrative of what Lagerfeld really wanted to show: beauty, philosophy, politics, technique, and technology, all fashioned up in an array of shimmering pastel dresses of fitted bodices and sweeping skirts. On the surface they looked like classic couture, but only up close at the re-see the next day, could I understand the actual ideas, each as innovative as the maestro’s mind. At first, the message of changing fourrure for couture seemed like a conscientious approach towards animal rights and fashion’s major movement away from fur; after all, if there’s anyone who breathes in the zeitgeist, it has to be Lagerfeld. Fabrics were technologically manipulated to appear like fur: plush velvet mimicking fine astrakhan; marabou feathers made of shredded silk organza; frayed chiffon stitched tightly to resemble intarsia mink. A Hitchcockianstyle skirt suit with a shearling-like appearance was actually made of densely sewn micro sequins that gave it a chiaroscuro effect; so sensually tactile as I glided my hand up and down the surface while Boomerang-ing the effect. There was an effervescent lightness to almost everything, some looks accentuated by a sequinned body stocking beneath the sheer layers to bring that mermaid shimmer to these dream dresses. What was astounding was in how the most noble of fabrics were crafted into the most precious materials ... and then you wonder: where exactly is the fur?

Before you think of Lagerfeld as veering on political correctness, this was not his only motivation. Of course he had a field day in challenging perception of what luxury is with this beautiful guessing game, and one wonders if the price changes if it were actual fur or the technical simulacra. As to the question of fur, Fendi’s roots as an artisanal furrier since 1925 remain deep, challenging the status quo but presenting Lagerfeld’s more interesting proposition.

Off to work he went, taking the hallmarks of its fur atelier—the finest, most sustainably sourced fox, lynx, ermine, mink, and sable—and juxtaposing these with new fabric treatments to showcase true savoir faire and couture detailing. A Grace Kellyera dress coat featured boxy panels of violet mink alternated with fine latticework in a beautiful play of volume and silhouette. Latticework featured strongly in this collection, as sexy cage-like detailing and for a corset effect on the black looks. On the ballerina-like pastel dresses, they were fashioned after antique porcelain plates with their delicate retro flowers, brought to creation as bijoux floral applique and whispers of embroidery, all swishing sweetly to every move. Mink petals flirted with a patent black collar, chunky tassels swayed about sheer tulle, and feathers danced about a bonded plastic skirt.

Plastic? You read that right. In the discourse of ‘What’s Luxury Now?’ Lagerfeld threw in the synthetic material, crafted with a sumptuous finish, of course, to confront perception and again be part of the conversation on conservation. This statement was taken beyond by Silvia Venturini Fendi, who reimagined couture accessories, and turned ideas inside out with 15 fantastical minaudières crafted with thermoplastic resin that layer after glossy layer using ultrasound and frequency technology mimicked the luxurious materials of marble, malachite, and mother-of-pearl—inside lined in buttery soft nappa leather—and festooned with hand-cut stones, gems, and crystals. One design into completely different styles, some deco romantic, other modern graphic but all utterly desirable objets d’art that also make philosophical statements.

Naturally, the shoes had to mirror the minaudières, in patent leather imaginings—comfort is still key!—with a retro square toe and abstract block heels carved out of maple, Perspex, and horn. Part-sci-fi, part-Stepford wife, together they brought a frisson of curio-futurism, a rhetorical contrast to the delicate dresses. Degas ballerina to Wonder Woman, never estranging, but altogether, the neoclassical themes and progressive textures fused in their decorative glories, with a sensorial delight and intellectual buzz only a maestro could create. Celestial couture, we call it, because Fendi has brought it higher than haute.

Built at the end of the ’30s, Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana emerges from the Roman skyline as a modern Colosseum, intended to be one of the most emblematic buildings in Italy. However, historical circumstances had other plans, and the six-storey travertine palace was left empty up until three years ago when, after decades of dilapidation, Italian fashion house Fendi decided to breathe new life into the iconic building. Today, the beautifully renovated Palazzo is home to Fendi’s new headquarters. It is here, in Karl Lagerfeld’s office on the sixth floor, that the first sketches of the current Fendi Haute Couture Autumn/ Winter collection were drawn. The collection combines only the most luxurious of materials such as mink and fox fur, marabou feathers, and the softest cashmere with motifs from František Kupka paintings. The Czech painter’s art—one of the main inspirations, elegantly shapes the collection of dresses and suits by way of colourful feathers and frayed organza. On this hot, sunny afternoon in Rome, not only am I experiencing the Kupka-inspired collection in Fendi’s beautiful palazzo, I’m also in the presence of the effervescent Hana Soukupová, who’s arrived straight from Mallorca where she currently resides with her family. Amid dressing her up in beautifully crafted couture robes, we talk to the Czech model about her career, children, and the paradise she calls home. What was it like on the set of your first photoshoot? The first photographer I worked with was Robert Vano. It was my first photo test experience, and he was very kind and patient, explaining everything I was supposed to do. His great approach helped me decide to focus fully on modelling. I wouldn’t have done it if I had a bad first experience with someone else. You have a little daughter now. Is modelling in the cards for her? I would support her if that’s her choice. My parents were also helpful and open-minded. When they found out I wanted to model, they didn’t try to change my mind, even though I was very young at that point. I was only 14. What advice would you give her? I would explain how the business works; who to work with and how to find the right agency. This is interesting, I could be her mentor. I didn’t have one myself and it would have been very useful. Then, I had no idea how modelling worked, what was important, and what made sense. You are from the Czech Republic, your husband is American, and for last three years, you’ve been residing in Mallorca. Where do you feel most at home? Mallorca, for sure. We lived in New York for 14 years, and recently, we returned there for three weeks. In the beginning, we were excited that we could enjoy the American lifestyle again, but after five days we realised it wasn’t for us anymore. Why is that? There is a sense of divine peace in Mallorca. Of course, we had to get used to it initially. Life in our small town is very calm. It’s absolutely gorgeous for kids, though. Does Mallorca bring any advantages to your modelling work? I have worked in the States for a long time and I enjoy returning to Europe. The business is a bit different here and I can work with new clients. The biggest advantage is the close distance. I can fly anywhere around Europe in just a few hours. It also makes it easier to visit my family in the Czech Republic. How do you handle being separated from your children while travelling? This shoot for Fendi is my first without the kids. Before, we always tried to turn every work travel into a family trip. In the end, we found that it was harder for me than for the kids. How did childbirth change you? Children have taught me patience. They’ve opened up a brand-new world to me and I can’t imagine going back now. My life is definitely much happier. We laugh together every day. They are my buddies. Has your approach to work changed? I’m thinking about my priorities more, and choosing what and how to invest my time. Before I had kids, I loved to travel. When an offer came, I went for it. Now, I have to plan and organise more, both for myself and my children. Your son is already going to school. Does he fully understand his mum’s job? I’m not sure if he does. He sees me in magazines but doesn’t know why I am there. Sometimes, we see a poster with a blonde model on the street and he would ask if that is me, and I have to explain to him that not all ladies on posters are his mum.