Kim Jones' First Year at Fendi Gets the Book Treatment

Furthering the Bloomsbury literary influence seen in Kim Jones’ debut haute couture collection at Fendi for Spring 2021, The Fendi Set reflects on Jones’ first year as creative director of the Roman fashion house, casting celebration over his collections and expanding on the inspiration Jones has drawn from the Bloomsbury Group.

Alongside von Bismarck’s photography in the book are words by Jones and copies of original letters and diary pages from the Bloomsbury Group, which included prominent literary figures from the early 20th century, such as Virginia Woolf (whose novel Orlando was a focal inspiration for Fendi Spring 2021 couture) and Clive Bell. The original Bloomsbury content, alongside Jones’ personal archive, are juxtaposed against marbled, textured pages that come from von Bismarck’s close-up photography of book covers from the library at Charleston.

The Fendi Set is divided into three parts, and features a preface by Fendi muse and actress Tilda Swinton. In the first section, Bloomsbury spirits serve as tour guides throughout rural Sussex and Kent, and actress Gwendoline Christie calls on the spirit of Virginia Woolf in Fendi couture. The second section focuses on modern Paris, where Jones’ couture presentation was lensed by von Bismarck on models from Demi Moore and Kate Moss to Naomi Campbell and Bella Hadid, familiar faces and muses of the brand.

In the third section, a journey is taken to Fendi’s home in Rome, where von Bismarck captures the traveled paths of Bloomsbury artists who have visited. This final section features three generations of Fendi women (Anna, Silvia, and Delfina) wearing Jones’ first ready-to-wear collection, shot in the historic Villa Medici.

The Fendi Set ($135) will be available for purchase in early April in the United States.

Photos courtesy of Fendi