By Alby Permana, 10 Jul 2026
Moving away from Paris, Maria Grazia Chiuri instead opted for Rome to present her first couture collection for Italian fashion house Fendi. The Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderne e Contemporane set the stage for its Haute Couture Fall Winter 2026 collection, in tandem with the After un Percoso di Lavoro. Fendi/Karl Lagerfeld 1985. After Steps Through Work exhibition which opened to the public on July 10.
It isn’t just the show’s location that sets this collection apart. From the get go, Chiuri dialed down the restrictions couture is often associated with, favouring fluidity ushered in monochromatic black and white palette. As she believes, “Fendi is craft”, and so the collection comes down to the materials: leather, silk, velvet, and fur, offered in silhouettes that shift between Roman elegance and quiet sensuality. The designer offered, “the only way to do couture at Fendi is to align its essential values and elements, with shapes adapting to the materials. It is quite unique in this sense.”
See also: Fendi Brings Back The OG Baguette Bag With Its Newest Campaign
HIGHLIGHTS OF FENDI’S HAUTE COUTURE FALL WINTER 2026 SHOW IN ROMEA languid take on couture
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The first look, a sheer kaftan crafted from black and white chevron stripes pieced together, sets the tone. Chiuri quietens down on the more-is-more aspect in couture, and zeroes in on fluid silhouettes that simply let the body move. Evening gowns are offered in airy fabrics and other times in silky materials that glide along; Meanwhile, jackets adopt the roominess of untied and loosened kimonos. According to Chiuri, “the idea was that it’s the body that in some way gives the silhouette. It’s not something that you build.”
Precise lines
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Geometrical lines punctuate the lineup, and just equally precise is the tailoring across dresses, coats, and blouse and trouser separates. Two-toned jumpsuits in black and white come with low V-shaped necklines, bias cut dresses fall mid-calf, opaque black triangular cutouts are pasted onto sheer gown, and coats are exceptionally tailored. Still, they give room to breathe, never constraining the body.
Art Deco flourishes
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Amid the somber colour palette, soft golden hues emerge via Art Deco references. Plunging sheer tanks, tunic mesh tops, and drop-waisted dress in black and gold lace are clear callbacks to the ‘20s silhouettes. These moments feel inherently Maria Grazia Chiuri and nod to the house’s founding year of 1925.
“Fendi is craft”
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Indeed, the collection is a marvel of intricate and exceptional manual works of Fendi’s atelier. See: Coats crafted in cashmere, with fur and leather intarsia details; capes where velvet meets mink; fur jackets made of feathers; and florals embroidered onto sheer fabric. All in all, Chiuri let craft do the talking.
Now, let’s talk accessories
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Not a Baguette bag was in sight (except for the one Sarah Jessica Parker sported in the front row). However, a cascading fur bag appeared with one of the looks. Jewellery played into the Roman aesthetic, taking organic shapes with its long twists and turns in gold. Shoes took on materials of fur, velvet, and mesh, further emphasising the softness in this collection