What is more important to society than connection? Perhaps Fendi Chief Creative Officer Maria Grazia Chiuri’s answer to that question is art. Her first Fall/Winter 2026-2027 collection takes a rather pessimistic perspective on human connection, one that identifies both the necessity of bonding and our ironic inability to find it.

The theme of relationships, from romantic to mere proximity, is present throughout the collection. There is push and pull: the push of what we give to a relationship, and the pull of what we expect in return. This can be seen through loud, feathered trench coats, juxtaposed throughout the campaign with simpler black leathers; the extrovert in the foreground, and the introvert tucked away in the back.

The push and pull extends into a fluid interpretation of gender in the collection. Menswear and womenswear meld into something else, a meeting of both gendered norms and sexual fashion codes. An omnipresent tension lurks in the campaign’s imagery, bringing sexuality to the forefront of a relationship-based collection of garments.

A key feature of the campaign is the blocking throughout the photos, shot by Jo Ann Callis. Figures are separated by varying, seemingly random spans of space, creating several unique moments. Some are highly intimate, and others are borderline awkward, yet they are all key to the greater dialogue about connection.