Fendi Resort 2017

Inspired by American quilting, designers Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi for Fendi’s Resort 2017 collection employed checkered patterns, exotic floral prints, antique Japanese wallpaper, and kaleidoscopic patchwork style placements, as well as bold colors in green, yellow, red, and blues. This incredible crazy quilt of bold colors and patterns in funneled through the lens of modern, sporty elegance with a nod toward a 1970s design aesthetic.

Always known for deep well of knowledge concerning cultural reference, Lagerfeld’s wealth of cultural references is not wasted on this resort collection. And though Lagerfeld is a septuagenarian—74 in fact—his design brilliance is still going strong. Lagerfeld’s ingenious design aesthetic has eagerly adapted the ever-changing world of fashion. Borrowing from silhouettes and styles of the past—and for this Resort 2017 collection, an early 70s design aesthetic—Lagerfeld combines these influences with modern innovation and new textile fabrications.

And though this collection was fashion forward in its scope and incorporation of new artisanal techniques that was a hint whimsy and charm that unfortunately is missing from some of the resort collections of other well-know brands. The whimsical nature of this collection is made evident in off-the-shoulder peasant-like blouses, off-the-shoulder jumpsuits, and half off-the-shoulder peplum tops.

By employing lots of separates in this collection, Venturini Fendi and Lagerfeld have made this Resort 2017 collection more retail friendly and accessible. And the five trench coats in the collection, from the bold yellow to the black trench with Japanese wallpaper embellishment all highlight how Lagerfeld is adept at taking a traditional silhouette and elevating that look to something fresh, current while still being consumer friendly.

Venturini Fendi’s influence is seen in the use of the brand’s signature motif of waves that are peppered throughout the collection. And the use of shaved mink and fluffy hand-trimmed fox used to replicate the wave motif on a short fur jacket also demonstrates that Lagerfeld is still, even at 74, way ahead of the current pack of designers creating for major design houses.

—William S. Gooch