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Fendace: Is that a hushed-up designer label that only industry insiders know of? The answer is no. It is, of course, the brainchild of Donatella Versace, Silvia Venturini Fendi, and Kim Jones, and arguably the pinnacle of fashion collaborations. (Just don’t call it that.) It’s not Fendi x Versace or Versace x Fendi—it’s simply Fendace. And don’t you forget it.
“It’s a swap rather than a collaboration, and most of all, it is done out of friendship,” says Kim Jones, artistic director of Fendi couture and womenswear. “It is the beauty of togetherness after time apart and a celebration of women who have inspired me so much.”
Born out of a creative collaboration between three of the industry’s trailblazing designers, the highly anticipated so-called swap is in stores today, and fashion fans are already grabbing their favorites (virtually and IRL). Featuring Fendi by Versace, as well as Versace by Fendi, the collection is already iconic fashion catnip.
First shown in a supermodel-studded secret show during Milan Fashion Week last September, the mood was set when the first Fendace heel hit the Perspex runway: It was a sizzling return to the nightclub. “Way 2 Sexy” by Drake, Future, and Young Thug blasted while Kate Moss, Amber Valletta, Naomi Campbell, Kristen McMenamy, Gigi Hadid, and co. paid homage to the party-dwelling It girl.
What’s more, the campaign follows the selfsame motif. With images shot by Steven Meisel and a film directed by Alex Maxwell, you’ll see Adut Akech, Amar Akway, Anja Rubik, Anok Yai, Imaan Hammam, and Lina Zhang entering the Fendace club, where they are greeted by supermodel bouncers McMenamy and Campbell. The message is clear—this is one for the maximalists.
“The campaign captures the same sense of friendship and energy we had when we were designing the collection. Kim is a visionary designer and innovator. To me, Fendace will always mean love,” says Donatella Versace.
It’s not a collaboration; it’s a dazzling amalgamation of some of fashion’s most iconic brand codes, reimagining classic silhouettes from both houses. Think Versace chain mail and a Medusa motif on a nano Fendi baguette bag and slick Fendi LBDs stitched together with Versace safety pins. Launching globally in a series of pop-ups, the collections will also be available from the brands’ online stores.
Keep scrolling to see Vogue’s top picks from the swap of the season.
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