Fendi A/W 2020 Milan Fashion Week Men's

Models backstage at Fendi A/W 2020
Fendi A/W 2020. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans
(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Mood board: The decade starts with a revision of proportion: Prada showed slim-fitted knitted vests with narrow armholes high on the shoulder. At Marni, shrunken polo-shirts and polka dot tees were worn layered. Paul Andrew at Ferragamo offered blousons that could be un-popped into boleros and jackets that could be Velcroed closer to the body. At Fendi there was a twisting of the classic silhouette. The traditional was skewed: trousers were set into skirts; internal seams and quilting were traced across blazers and coats. Suit jackets could be zipped into cropped jackets.

Finishing touches: The accessories followed the brand’s logo and the look of the invitation: a thick yellow piece of card. Models carried multiple riffs on a paper shopping bag rendered in soft leather. The iconic Baguette bag was offered in a chunky hand knit wool. Elsewhere the garments themselves replaced the bag. Multi-slot pockets inspired by gentleman’s wallets were engineered into tailored jackets – a neat, carefree place for credit cards, keys and phone.

Team work: The Via Andrea Solari HQ was imagined as a snowy, polished tunnel with a glossy white runway. Guests sat on padded, ice-white poufs. Four lighting rigs were suspended from the ceiling and almost skimmed the floor. For the finale of the show, they shone a spotlight on Fendi’s latest collaboration with the Japanese brand Anrealage. Creative Director Kunihiko Morinaga has developed a capsule of padded photochromic outerwear and accessories that change colour when exposed to UV light, transforming white tiger quilting into a warm yellow. 

Male models backstage at Fendi A/W 2020

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Male models backstage at Fendi A/W 2020

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Male models backstage at Fendi A/W 2020

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

Male models backstage at Fendi A/W 2020

Fendi A/W 2020. Photography: Jason Lloyd-Evans

(Image credit: Jason Lloyd-Evans)

London based writer Dal Chodha is editor-in-chief of Archivist Addendum — a publishing project that explores the gap between fashion editorial and academe. He writes for various international titles and journals on fashion, art and culture and is a contributing editor at Wallpaper*. Chodha has been working in academic institutions for more than a decade and is Stage 1 Leader of the BA Fashion Communication and Promotion course at Central Saint Martins. In 2020 he published his first book SHOW NOTES, an original hybrid of journalism, poetry and provocation.