In the past week, I have been forced to ask myself, who has ever been shopping at Fendi and wished that they had more leggings options to choose from? Well! If that customer exists, then boy do I have some news for them! I’m sure by now most of us have seen the news of the Fendi X Skims collaboration that is set to drop on November 9.
The creative director of Fendi, Kim Jones, decided he wanted to team up with the legend herself, Kim Kardashian, after watching members of his team dive for their phones when a Skims drop happened in the middle of a meeting. The collection predominantly consists of neon activewear with both the Fendi and Skims logos plastered across them, showcased in an ad campaign that was, dare I say, underwhelming.
Maybe the news of this collection dropping was supposed to be earth-shattering; an exciting shakeup to end 2021 with a big fashion bang, but it feels more like a half-hearted cash grab. Collaborations are nothing new to the fashion industry, yet at this point, it feels like they have truly lost their sparkle.
I can’t help but think back to the Supreme and Louis Vuitton collaboration from FW17, a collaboration that was also (!) under the creative direction of Kim Jones, and while the products have undeniably turned into the ultimate emblem of the Hypebeast, that collaboration felt exciting. Two brands from different stratospheres created products that felt at least slightly inspired outside of a marketing ploy. Four years later and logomania has come and gone, countless collaborations have passed, yet Kim Jones is sticking to the same old tricks that created hype.
And listen! This isn’t to say that all collaborations are bad, but compounded with the disappointing Fendace show in September, this Skims collaboration feels like Fendi has an identity crisis. Skims is a powerhouse, with inclusive sizing, diverse casting, and collections selling out in minutes. The brand is authentic to Kardashian herself. That’s why it’s so successful. In a statement on the collaboration, Jones said, “My Fendi is about creating something for every woman, every different shape – and that’s something at the heart of SKIMS too.” I encourage everyone reading this article to look at the past few Fendi runway shows and note the model casting, you’ll find that there isn’t exactly a representation of “every different shape.” Skims feels authentic, and I get the feeling that Fendi is trying to cash in on Kardashian’s success.
Words by Nicholson Baird.
Graphic by Emily Tobias.