Fashion is forever repeating itself. The trend cycle is constantly churning out the same looks as more and more people begin to appreciate vintage styles. A designer who understands the importance of revisiting old styles is Kim Jones. For the Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, Jones reimagines two of the house’s most iconic collections through a modern, contemporary lense. He reconfigured the past and applies the signature style to the design principles of today.

Jones takes inspiration from Delfina Delettrez for the new collection. After Deletrrez wore a printed blouse from her mother’s wardrobe into Fendi’s Roman headquarters, Jones searched through the house’s archives to find the Spring/Summer 1986 collection. Designed by Karl Lagerfeld, the collection celebrated the late designer’s love for art. Geometric patterns and sartorial prints, the same prints that Jones saw on Deletrrez, take over this collection.

Jones pairs the elusive prints and style from the ‘86 collection with the lightness of the Autumn /Winter 2000 collection. The result: an exploration of strength and softness, and a collection made of beautiful clothes for powerful women.

“It’s a wardrobe designed for every aspect of a woman’s life, for every generation,” Jones said. “And it all started with Delfina.”

“It brings me directly to the history of my family. I saw these prints on myself; Kim saw them on Delfina,” said Silvia Venturini Fendi. “What interests me the most about fashion is when it isn’t something just for the moment – and with FENDI, that is always the case, because it is never banal. There is always a story behind each piece, something a little different.”

Light. delicate chiffon tucked into thick tweed creates a mix of masculine and feminine styles. Delicate fabrics pair with rough materials, and men’s tailoring takes on feminine shapes, furthering the mix of feminine with masculine. Fendi’s utilitarianism is built into garments with multiple functions. Belts are made to cinch the waist and hold a phone, and blazers detach into tailored gilets. The O’Lock print from the Autumn/Winter 2022 menswear collection makes an appearance, showing that when it comes to style there are no barriers between men’s and women’s clothing.

Accessories designed by Fendi herself show the house’s dedication to craftsmanship. New fur iterations of the FENDI First and oversized shopper make up a selection of the new accessories. To celebrate the Baguette’s 25th anniversary, cashmere, shearling-lined leather, and intarsia mink editions of the bag are revived.

Delettrez supersizes the brand’s monogram and turns them into ear cuffs for the line’s jewelry collection. Baguette crystals form the FF logo in tennis bracelets, while the Master Key motif turns into earrings and pendants.

For the new Autumn/Winter 2022 collection, Jones shows that there is beauty in the past. In the words of Jones himself, “The best way to explore the FENDI archives is through the Fendi wardrobes.”