Boudoir Dressing Is Back at Fendi

Last Updated: 22 February 2022

Photo: Imaxtree

Lingerie dressing is always drifting in and out of fashion, depending on how the pendulum swings. The real hat trick, though, is making boudoir piece feel subtly sultry rather than overtly sexy — something that Kim Jones pulls off at Fendi for his Fall 2022 collection.

Models with slicked-back, wet-look hair took to the runway in pieces that bring the inside out — sometimes literally, with exposed and frilled seams. There are slipdresses covered in the Fendi logo, pastel joggers so sheer they reveal the tap pant underneath, slinky tops that tie shut at the bust.

Of course, this is Fendi, so it isn't all whisper-thin chiffons and flashes of skin. Some of the most impressive pieces in the collection are corseted tops, complete with bustier detailing and half-peplums which extend over skirts and pants. That structured detailing carries over onto the waistbands of pencil skirts and buckled over coats — the new way to cinch in a waist. There are also fall-ready plush fabrics in macaron-pastels: velvet gloves, furry coats and lots (and lots) of leather. And the suiting is impeccable; it rounds out the feeling that there's a little something for everyone in this collection.

And it is a beautiful collection. Jones clearly knows his way around tailoring a garment — at least, to a very specific body type. Fendi spent several seasons under Silvia Venturini Fendi's leadership proving that body diversity was possible at the Italian fashion house, and it's a shame to see Jones revert back to a frankly outdated version of what runways look like. It would be nice for him to showcase how his talents extend past a size 4.