Maria Grazia Chiuri unveiled her first couture collection for Fendi in a presentation held at Rome’s National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, the same venue where Karl Lagerfeld staged a landmark exhibition for the brand nearly four decades ago. In 1985, Lagerfeld’s “Steps Through Work” exhibit caused controversy not for its use of fur—then a common element in luxury fashion—but because it challenged the notion of fashion as a subject worthy of museum display. Chiuri’s decision to revisit that exhibition’s format and location marks a deliberate engagement with Fendi’s history and creative evolution.

Chiuri’s collection, presented in December 2023, reflected both continuity and change. While fur remained part of the lineup, it was notably reclaimed and upcycled from archival pieces, customer returns, or leftover materials, aligning with a broader industry shift away from new fur production. Compared to historical Fendi couture, the presence of fur was reduced, and the craftsmanship on display extended to a wider variety of textiles, including velvet, silk, and lace. The collection emphasized materiality as a foundational element in design, a perspective Chiuri described as distinctive from her prior experience at Christian Dior, where construction led fabric choice. At Fendi, she stated, “the structure serves the fabric,” highlighting fabric as the starting point and primary focus.

The runway featured minimalist, monochrome ensembles characterized by soft, flowing silhouettes with little emphasis on traditional tailoring or dramatic shaping. There were no bright colors or voluminous gowns. Instead, the collection showcased garments that prioritized tactility and movement—liquid pants, caftans, and delicate layering dominated the show. Examples included a black dress starting in Chantilly lace that transitioned into the same pattern rendered in leather, and a vest crafted from hundreds of small white fur “petals.” The collection also incorporated robe-like jackets and sheer 1920s-inspired shifts layered over sleek white trousers, blending subtle references to menswear and historical styles.

Chiuri’s approach aimed to reinterpret Fendi’s legacy, which under Lagerfeld was closely linked to haute fourrure, or high fur craftsmanship. Lagerfeld’s introduction of couture at Fendi had initially met with protests, symbolized by demonstrations and a buggy emblazoned with fake blood. Today, many fashion houses have distanced themselves from fur, yet Chiuri appears to chart a more nuanced path, retaining the material within a sustainable framework.

The collection was marked by a sense of restraint and lightness, a quality that has been echoed widely across recent fashion weeks. However, for Chiuri, this sense of lightness was integral to confronting the weighty heritage of the brand. Rather than deny or apologize for Fendi’s historical association with fur, she proposed a recalibration of its values—one that elevates craftsmanship and material innovation over traditional notions of shape or branding. This redefinition signals a considered progression for both Chiuri and the house of Fendi.