Maria Grazia Chiuri has unveiled her first haute couture collection for Fendi, introducing a new direction for the Italian fashion house with a focus on relaxed silhouettes and craftsmanship.
The Fendi Haute Couture Fall/Winter 2026–2027 show was held at Rome’s Galleria Nazionale d’Arte Moderna e Contemporanea. The presentation marked Chiuri’s return to Rome after almost a decade at Dior, where she served as creative director of womenswear.
For her first Fendi couture collection, Chiuri looked to the brand’s history while taking a different approach from its past. The show referenced a 1985 Fendi exhibition organised by Karl Lagerfeld, which featured his illustrations and designs from his years at the house. However, Chiuri moved away from Lagerfeld’s oversized and structured shapes, opting instead for softer, flowing forms.
The opening look was a black-and-white striped caftan inspired by a dress worn by Emilie Flöge, an early 20th-century couturier known for loose, comfortable designs. The piece reflected Chiuri’s approach to silhouette, where clothing follows the body rather than creating a rigid shape.
Craft techniques were a major focus of the collection. Chiuri brought together Fendi’s couture, fur, leather and textile workshops to create pieces that combined different materials. An ivory cloak, for example, appeared to be made from lace at first glance but revealed details of fur, leather and fabric on closer inspection. Some designs also used upcycled fur from Fendi’s Echo of Love programme.
The collection also challenged traditional ideas of couture dressing. Alongside gowns, Chiuri introduced trousers, loose jackets and unstructured outerwear. Long bias-cut dresses with decorative details added a more classic couture element while maintaining the collection’s focus on movement.
Chiuri’s first Fendi couture show marked a change in direction for the house. Instead of recreating its past, the designer used Fendi’s existing craft traditions to explore a more contemporary approach to haute couture.
