NEW KID ON THE PLAYGROUND : FENDI

Fendi may be best known for its Baguette bags and Roman-rooted glamour, but in 2022, the House quietly dropped a new obsession into the world of couture: high jewelry. And true to Fendi form, it was elegant, unexpected, and laced with a wink.

The debut happened during the Autumn/Winter 2022 Haute Couture show in Paris, where Fendi unveiled its first-ever high jewelry collection. Not with fanfare, but with a whisper of diamonds.

Designed by Delfina Delettrez Fendi, the brand’s Artistic Director of Jewelry, the set was called the Fendi Flavus parure. It includes a necklace, earrings, and a cocktail ring, all built around a gleaming palette of white and fancy vivid yellow diamonds. The word “flavus” comes from Latin, meaning yellow or blond, a nod to both Roman heritage and the collection’s radiant centerpiece.

The star of the parure? A striking emerald-cut yellow diamond, flanked on each side by Fendi’s iconic double F monogram, set with baguette-cut yellow diamonds. It’s a clever play on geometry and branding, subtle enough to charm rather than shout. The entire necklace ripples like a Roman fountain, fluid and architectural. It’s emotional, sculptural, and engineered to move with the body.

We loved that the FF motif was integrated so discreetly. One moment it’s a dazzling diamond collar, the next you catch a glimpse of that signature logo, softly shimmering beneath the surface. A private joke between the Maison and those in the know.

And then came part two.

In July 2023, Fendi expanded its high jewelry ambitions with a new chapter: Triptych. The name is a reference to art, and the collection is just that — a wearable triptych in three acts: Roma Rosa, Gioiello Giallo, and Bianco Brillante. Each color family plays with emotion, history, and color theory. Think pink spinels, yellow diamonds, and icy white brilliance, all cut in softened baguette shapes that echo the architecture of Fendi’s most iconic handbag.

The pieces were styled straight onto the FW23 Couture runway, worn with flowing gowns and effortless attitude. The diamonds felt less like a red-carpet accessory and more like punctuation marks to a woman’s personality.

Once again, Delfina Delettrez Fendi proved her ability to balance the mechanical and the sensual, with pieces that nod to Roman mythology and mid-century elegance while remaining thoroughly modern. There is a quiet confidence to her designs: no need to shout when your stones are speaking volumes.

What sets Fendi’s high jewelry apart is its wearability. These are not pieces meant to sleep in safes. They are designed to move, to sparkle in conversation, to be worn with denim or couture, maybe even both at once. They are thoughtful, sculptural, and yes, a little playful.

Our verdict? A brilliant move from the House of Fendi, and we absolutely love it.