As part of a 240-page hardcover book, Kim Jones explores the history of the Bloomsbury Group through his first year at Fendi. Jones received his title of Artistic Director of womenswear and couture in September of 2020. He showed his first collection at the Spring 2021 Couture Week and began the foundations of a new ear for Fendi. Now, through the eyes of British-German photographer Nikolai von Bismarck, we look at the relationship between Jones’ Fendi and his fascination with the Bloomsbury group. 

The Bloomsbury group was a circle of artists, intellectuals, and other creatives that originates in the first half of the 20th Century. Figures such as Virginia Woolf, Duncan Grant, and Vanessa Bell, found themselves creating the works that formed this collective. Their art and ideals brought them together, and now they serve as the inspiration for Jones’ Fendi identity. The Fendi Set: From Bloomsbury to Borghese presents photographs of iconic Bloomsbury Set landmarks, such as the Charleston House in England, alongside key inspirations for Fendi, such as the set of haute couture in Paris, and brings their ideals together to showcase the influence on had on another. 

The book takes place in three sections. The beginning includes a preface written by British actress Tilda Swinton and follows the Bloomsbury set through Sussex and Kent. Gwendolin Christie channels the spirit of Virginia in Fendi Couture for this section. The second section takes place in present-day Paris, and showcases Jones’ first Fendi couture collection. Demi Moore, Kate and Lila Moss, Naomi Campbell, Cara Delevingne, Bella Hadid and Christy Turlington wear the collection. The third and final section transports readers to Rome where they follow in the footsteps of Bloomsbury members who spent time in the iconic city. Anna, Silvia, and Delfina Fendi model Jones’ first ready-to-wear collection for the fashion house at the Villa Medici, closing the Bloomsbury circle. 

The Fendi Set: From Bloomsbury to Borghese by Nikolai von Bismark and Kim Jones is set to release on April 5th. It is available for pre-order on the Rizzoli New York website, along with other major book retailers.