Yahoo Finance Two Kims Collide: Fendi X Skims collaboration announced
Monogram mania and the collab craze reach their peak as Fendi’s artistic director Kim Jones’ newest creative pairing is released online.
After the coup that was ‘Fendace’, where Jones swapped design roles with Donatella Versace during Milan Fashion Week at the end of September, here comes ‘Skimendi’. The luxury Italian house will launch new designs with Kim Kardashian’s 2019 founded shapewear brand on November 9, 6am PST, 9am EST.
Steven Meisel’s images from the new campaign began emerging on Instagram on October 25, the garments all minimalist second-skins and figure hugging knits. The pattern at the core of the collection spells out Fendi, the interlocking FF logo and Skims, and is splashed at an angle across body suits, tights and puffer coats in the tonal shades associated with both brands.
More unexpected have been the bursts of colour. Precious Lee is photographed in a bright red, long sleeved, turtle necked dress, while Kardashian poses in two piece magenta athleisure, alongside others in matching shade shell suit jackets and bicep length gloves.
Both Kims are pictured on the cover of the Wall Street Journal for the announcement, Kardashian wearing a monogram knit dress in white. The publication reports the new designs will cost $100 to $4,200. But the news has not blindsided the fashion industry, as images of the collection were leaked by a personal shopper and stylist in Manchester earlier in October, and word spread fast on social media.
“The idea for the collaboration came about when my team and I were sitting around a table in the Fendi studio,” Jones has said. “Suddenly all the women went silent and started looking at their phones. I didn’t know what was going on, but they were waiting for the launch of the new Skims collection. It was then that I thought, let’s do something together.”
For Kardashian, it’s a luxury seal of approval that offers the chance to boost her relatively young brand to the next level. “The innovation in fabrics and fit typical to Skims paired with the luxury and quality of Fendi may feel unexpected” she says. “But the similarities between our creative vision and goals are so closely aligned. It’s that tension which excites me.”
