204 GQ.COM.AU SEPTEMBER/OCTOBER 2017
because it’s a bag that costs a fortune, but when you touch it, it’s
so nice!”
Fendi’s not kidding. The bag retails for a touch more than $9000,
but this self-awareness is refreshing for a luxury designer. And more
than simply acknowledging her clothes aren’t cheap, Fendi is
determined to give customers value for money. Most of the items in
her AW17 menswear collection were reversible.
“I like everything to have a function,” she explains. “So there are
many detachable parts and you can modify it according to the moment.
The inside is sometimes more important than the outside. When I do
a bag, I spend days thinking about the things you can put inside, to see
if it fits all the necessary things in it. With garments, it’s the same. I pay
attention to hidden pockets and durability – those kinds of things.”
In addition to designing menswear, Fendi also oversees women’s
accessories and some of her best-known creations – the ‘Baguette’ and
‘Peekaboo’, to name two – have achieved undeniable ‘it-bag’ status. It is
in this role that she also works alongside Lagerfeld.
“I was five years old when I first met him,” she says. “Of course,
there’s a professional aspect, but there’s also a friendship there. What
I am today is thanks to him. We spend a lot of time together because we
work on the collection, but we have different lives – totally different.”
Lagerfeld has spoken of being drawn to little else but fashion and
sketching. And while it might be natural to assume Fendi shares this
single-mindedness, she admits to having considered a life outside of
fashion. Regularly. “I think about it every day,” she says. “When
I travel, I look at houses and imagine what would have happened if I’d
been born in this house, on the other side of the world. Who would
I be? What would I do? Because I was born into this, so I think:
‘Did I choose this or did it choose me?’”
It might be a bit of both. But if Fendi did have her time over, she’s
thought about what career path she might have chosen. Some
alternative occupations she has considered include: a doctor, a chef, a
psychiatrist, a farmer and an author. “Last night I thought I would liketo write a book,” she recalls. “I had jetlag so I was awake at 4am and
a story came to mind. I would like to try one day.”
And why not? These days, designers have become celebrities in their
own right. Besides designing collections for Chanel, Fendi and his own
label, Lagerfeld is also an accomplished photographer and author. Even
his pet cat, Choupette, has a book, a plush toy range and make-up
capsule collection by cosmetics giant Shu Uemura. Not even joking.
Suffice to say this is not what Fendi wishes for herself. It’s probably no
surprise that this, doing interviews, is Fendi’s least favourite part of her
job. She wishes she could have followed the lead of Belgian designer
Martin Margiela, a designer so obsessed with anonymity that – despite
operating at the peak of the fashion world for years – there are scarcely
any known photographs of the man. “If I could, I would like to behave
like him, just to be backstage, behind the scenes,” she says. “I think he
was so clever.”
Yet here we are. As reluctant interview subjects go, Fendi is
remarkably friendly, if reserved – at least until talk turns to banal
questions journalists ask her. Turns out there are quite a few.
“‘Where do you find inspiration?’” poses Fendi, her face a look
of mock-horror. “I go crazy when I hear this question. If there were
a place where I go for inspiration, do you think I would tell you?”
Fair point. But Fendi’s not finished. “‘Who is the Fendi man?’”
she continues. “I don’t know. Everyone and nobody.”
We begin to scan our questions for any serial offenders.
“‘What’s luxury to you?’” she sighs. “My god. What’s luxury?
Nothing!”
A piece from Fendi’s autumn/winter collection will come in handy in
situations such as this. It can be sent out to aspiring fashion journalists
prior to an interview. Or maybe it could be handed to certain world
leaders before they decide to log on to Twitter, first thing in the
morning. It is an unassuming grey headband that offers advice we
could all use every now and again – and now more than ever. It says
simply: “THINK”. nTHIS PAGE
Wool jumper, $1010,
and knit pants, $990,
both by Fendi.
RIGHT
Shearling coat, $9990,
knit jumper, $810, and
wool pants, $960, all
by Fendi.
Grooming
Roberto Pagnini
at Airport Agency
Ta le nt Roberts
Semjonovs at
BRO Models
Casting Director
Svea Greichgauer
at AM Casting Paris