Fendi x Kengo Kuma Unveil Sustainable SS24 Show

Italian fashion house Fendi has joined forces with renowned Japanese architect Kengo Kuma to design accessories inspired by ancient Japanese craft techniques.

These innovative pieces were presented at Fendi's Spring Summer 2024 menswear show, held in June at the Piuarch-designed Fendi Factory during the prestigious biannual menswear fair, Pitti Uomo, in Florence.

For this collaboration, Kuma reinterpreted Fendi's Peekaboo bag, Baguette Soft Trunk, and Flow Sneakers using eco-friendly materials and traditional Japanese craft techniques such as waranshi paper-making and yatara ami weaving.

Waranshi, a hybrid of washi paper created from cotton and tree bark fibres, was utilized for several bags. Traditionally used for origami, lantern-making, and kimono detailing, waranshi's soft, textural fabric forms the bags' structural base while its speckled, handmade-paper-like surface serves as ornamentation across the exterior.

In addition, a second bag was crafted from pale birch bark, with an internal frame and hardware details made from Tuscan olivewood. This design paid homage to Fendi's iconic Pequin-stripe pattern.

Fendi and Kuma's partnership goes beyond fashion, fostering a dialogue between architecture, design, and craftsmanship.

The internal structure of the Peekaboo bag was constructed using yatara ami weaving, a technique involving fine bamboo pieces to create woven lattice forms.

This traditional weaving method also informed the shape of the sole on the Flow trainers, which featured an upper crafted from a combination of recycled poly-cotton knit and waranshi paper.

Kuma further reimagined the Flow trainer by incorporating a laced and zipped design into the upper, a cork insole, and an undyed, biobased ethyl vinyl acetate (EVA) moulded sole.

The collaboration not only illuminates Fendi and Kuma's mutual passion for nature, lightness, and innovative design, but it also underscores their steadfast commitment to integrating sustainable practices into the world of fashion.