"Be the change you want to see in the world." ~Mahatma Gandhi

27 June 2013

Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls (The Baguette & Ankle Boots)



Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls



The Baguette

The Fendi baguette handbag was first designed in 1997 by Silvia Venturini Fendi. She is the current head of accessories for the fashion house and daughter of founder Adele Casagrande Fendi. Since it's creation, over 700 variations of the bag have been designed in a variety of fabrics, colors, sizes, beadwork and unique embellishments. Only a few months after the release of the first Fendi baguette bag in 1997, it became an international success! This chic and trendy bag was honored in the Spring of 2000 by The Fashion Group International and received an award for "Excellence in Accessory Design."

The Fendi baguette is regarded as a fashion iconic piece and was popularized even further by Sarah Jessica Parker in the hit HBO television series "Sex in the City." When the Fendi baguette was loaned to Sarah for her to carry as a fashion statement for Carrie Bradshaw (the main character of the show who splurged often on luxury clothes, shoes and accessories), it not only placed "Sex in the City" on the fashion map but catapulted the Carrie Bradshaw character into the highly acclaimed role of fashion icon.

For the 2012 Fendi Fall/Winter advertising campaign, model Joan Smalls showcases a couple of beautiful dark red baguettes: one made of short-haired fur-like wool with a snake-skin art deco-inspired center closure and the other just in a smooth classic leather with a traditional double F logo closure. In a behind-the-scenes photo where we catch a glimpse of Fendi's creative director and self-appointed photographer Karl Lagerfeld, Joan Smalls appears to be holding a classic purple baguette.






Ankle Boots

Whether you are able to get your hands on a pair of Fendi's tall ankle boots are the short ones from the Fall Winter 2012/2013 collection, you are sure to turn heads in these fashion-forward stunners!

Karl Lagerfeld working in collaboration with Silvia Venturini Fendi created a beautiful assortment of ankle boots for the season using the styling of color-blocking with touches of geometric detailing. Joan Smalls models both versions of these stylish Fendi ankle boots in the 2012 Fall Winter advertising campaign displaying how polished the Fendi outfit looks with the addition of not just a great Fendi handbag but also a great pair of Fendi ankle boots. I have always been a fan of Fendi shoes and for this 2012/2013 Fall Winter season I must say that the ankle boots offer the most pizazz.

Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls (Designer Eyewear)



Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls



Designer Eyewear

Fendi brand designer eyewear and sunglasses add nice touches to the wardrobe of both men and women. Even though the Fendi brand was originally associated with leather and fur, the design house has grown to encompass not just fur coats and leather handbags and shoes but also fragrances, timepieces, menswear, denim, gifts and designer eyewear.







Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls (Goat Hair, Peekaboo Tote & Box Clutch)



Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls



Goat Hair


Fendi is Italy's premier fur house. For the 2012 fall season, Fendi definitely stayed true to it's original love of fur by showcasing various animal skins in a wide arrange of colors, textures and designs. The fur piece that stood out to me from this collection is the yellow goat hair coat worn by Joan Smalls on the runway.

Karl Lagerfeld, creative director of Fendi since 1965, was quite smitten by the beauty and elegance of Joan Smalls wearing the fabulous yellow goat hair coat for the fashion show in Milan. He eagerly decided to use her for his 2012 fall advertising campaign as the sole model of focus. It is rare that you get to see a model wear a designer look on both that season's runway as well as for that season's advertising campaign.

And yes ... Karl also photographed her for the advertising campaign and the end result came out remarkably well. Karl is not only a brilliant fashion designer but he is quite remarkable as a fashion photographer as well.






Peekaboo Tote & Box Clutch


For the advertising campaign, Joan Smalls carries the Fendi peekaboo handbag with the yellow goat hair coat. However, for the runway show, a Fendi box clutch is paired with the coat. Both bags are darling. The peekaboo bag just appears more luxurious and more easily identifiable as a luxury Fendi piece and I clearly understand why this bag was chosen for the ad campaign. For marketing purposes, the peekaboo handbag is more of an interesting Fendi handbag and has been seen on the arms of Gossip Girls televison stars Blake Lively and Leighton Meester. The peekaboo handbag is definitely more suitable for Ready-to-Wear fashion. The box clutch would only be used for perhaps more formal occasions, galas and special events.


Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls (Hybrids & 2Jours Elite Tote)



Fendi FW 2012/2013: Joan Smalls



Hybrids

In the fashion world, a hybrid fashion design is comprised of two or more elements with extreme differences combined together in one piece. Fendi habitually uses the concept of hybrid fashion and for the 2012 Fall/Winter season continued to push the envelope of hybrid fashion.

One look in particular worn by Joan Smalls on the runway in Milan is a beautiful take of hybrid fashion presented in a much more subtle way compared to some of the other hybrid looks also featured in the show. The top that she wore was fitted more like a structured vest made of a beautiful textured short-haired fur with a very modern flair. What makes the look a hybrid are the shiny black sleeves made of an entirely different fabric (black satin-like material) reminiscent of a much older era and an obvious influence from a different century.

I love how this look was paired with blue hosiery even though I am not too fond of the choice of adding caramel brown boots with side fur detail. It is quite interesting that black boots were not chosen instead of the brown boots since there is such a play with shiny black and matte black in the outfit. But I suppose I still am not quite used to the trend of "not matching." The handbag matches the outfit beautifully but somehow the caramel brown of the boots with the blue hosiery takes the look into a completely different direction. Interestingly enough, when you look closely at the details of the outfit, there are bits of caramel along the edges of the cape-like top in the back. The color-block boots actually gives the outfit a very trendy spin. So what appears to be an odd fashion choice at first glance is actually a pretty clever delight leaving the admirer of this look in complete awe. Karl Lagerfeld creating fashion magic once again.

Nonetheless, she looks like a beautiful Etruscan warrior princess (if there is such a a thing!)













2Jours Elite Tote

For the 2012 Fall/Winter season, accessory designer Silvia Venturini Fendi has created several new bags which include the classy 2Jours Elite and the fabulous luxury iPad case.

It seems as if Sara Jessica Parker has been singled out once again to help create a madness surrounding the new Fendi 2Jours Elite bag. She has been spotted carrying a large navy 2Jours Elite tote and a large black one both with her "SJP" initials engraved onto the handle tag. Even though the HBO series "Sex and the City" is no longer running and cannot possibly stir up the crazy mass appeal that the Fendi baguette created by simply appearing on Sarah Jessica Parker's shoulder in 2000, her association to the brand is magical enough for her to be the first celebrity to be associated to the new 2012 2Jours Elite bag. This is truly clever marketing by Fendi and it suits Sarah Jessica Parker so well. A classic leather bag for a fabulously chic lady with upper-class appeal.

On the runway and also for the 2012 Fall advertising campaign, Joan Smalls showcases the 2Jours Elite tote in both the medium size as well as the large size. I love the patchwork design in the large size 2Jours Elite. This bag just might be another Fendi must-have luxury bag.