If the noise of one of the most luxurious fashion labels in the world was distilled down to one pinprick, what would it sound like? What are the acoustics of a silk chemise dress covered in mink rosettes–and, what does it sound like when a deep, forest green cape covered in embroidered patternwork gently sweeps the floor? Futhermore, do a pair of latex, lace-up ankle boots echo, if they hit the floor the right way? These are the questions the world may never even care to know. But when Fendi presented its one-off 90th anniversary collection at a fashion show on top of (yes, you read that correctly) the Trevi Fountain in Rome, the label certainly had its own idea in mind.
One of the most famous scenes in Italian film history may just be when Anita Ekberg gently waded into the moonlit Trevi Fountain in Federico Fellini’s 1960 film La Dolce Vita. Playing off of that theme, the brand created a custom plexiglass runway in which models such as Bella Hadid and Kendall Jenner walked the runway, while donning sheer dresses covered in pastel fur puffs and ornate embellished capes. As for the soundtrack? Fendi chose powerfully surrealistic music directly from some of Fellini’s most experimental films (Il Casanova and Giulietta degli Spiriti), all composed by Nino Rota. Listen below and just try not to imagine yourself in a bizarre, glamorous, Italian fantasy world. Then, go and watch Guilietta degli Spiriti (in English, Juliet of the Spirits) and imagine some of the character from that fabulous film walking the plexi runway.
The concept is literally enthralling. I wish Anita Ekberg was still here to walk, though. Kendall and Gigi are whatever they are, but they definitely would never be in any film Fellini made! 😉