In a sea of black and white, Maria Grazia Chiuri whispers a sensual freedom with her debut couture collection as Chief Creative Officer of FENDI. Staged in Rome’s National Gallery of Modern and Contemporary Art, the marble halls provided a fitting backdrop for an intentional meditation on the body. Stars including Jessica Alba, Sarah Jessica Parker, Yara Shahidi, and Monica Bellucci watched as Chiuri celebrated the immortality of desire.

Rejecting the spectacle often associated with modern couture, Chiuri opted for clothes that floated on the body and gently stroked the skin. She drew inspiration from Jacques de Bascher’s 1977 film for Karl Lagerfeld’s first ready-to-wear collection for the house—Histoire d’eau. The film depicts a sensual German tourist, played by Suzie Dyson, as she dances, bathes, and wanders freely around Rome, unconstrained by her clothing.

Embracing that spirit, the show opened with two chevron kaftans—loose, languid, and transparent. Kimono overcoats with Lagerfeld’s Labyrinth toile motif, pantsuits, cloaks, and silk dresses followed. Modernizing the 1920s, drop-waists, Art Deco arabesques, and georgette dresses allowed the body to exist in its natural form.

Homages to Fendi’s history of luggage, bags, and fur appeared through stripes held together by tulle, and leather transformed into intarsia leaves and flowers. Fur coats transcended gender, while velvet and grain de poudre jackets were modeled by men, embodying Chiuri’s contemporary vision.

Alongside the show, FENDI unveiled an exhibition honoring the creative legacy of Karl Lagerfeld at the house. Titled “After Steps Through Work: FENDI/Karl Lagerfeld 1985,” the exhibition revives the landmark 1985 showcase of Lagerfeld’s collaboration with FENDI. This new installation traces the evolution of the house through Lagerfeld’s archival sketches, original garments, and photographs, offering insight into the artistry and innovation that have shaped FENDI.

Maria Grazia Chiuri’s first couture collection for FENDI was about refinement, weaving a dialogue across generations and previous designers. Centered on freedom, draping, elegant cuts, lace, and tulle, Chiuri’s notion of couture lies in the intimate relationship between clothing and the body—the way fabric caresses the skin, the movement it allows, and the pleasure it brings to the wearer. For her, clothes do not give a silhouette; the body does.