Fendi tapped Japanese architect Kengo Kuma for their latest collaboration.
The Italian brand’s spring 2024 menswear collection, which premiered during Milan Fashion Week Men’s in June, leaned into utilitarian aesthetics with workwear-inspired separates, vests, skirts and more. Within the label’s lineup, however, were standout sneakers crafted in partnership with Kuma, who previously launched shoes with Asics in 2019 and 2021.
Kuma’s shoes for the upcoming Fendi men’s line will combine the brand’s heritage craftsmanship with his own modern approach to design. The architect’s resulting shoes revamp the brand’s recent Fendi Flow lace-up sneakers in a primarily pale tan palette, crafted with waranshi paper, birch back, Tuscan olive wood and bamboo, according to a release from the brand.
The style is complete with white laces and side pull zippers, as well as a set of 3D-printed white or beige round-toed soles — each crafted with overlapping vertical strips reminiscent of tree trunks.
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The collaboration also appears to feature a close-toed pair of the same sneakers, albeit in a slip-on format made from technical knit fabric for a futuristic finish. From social media, the style appears to be made in both a beige and matte gray color palette, adhering to the modern work-inspired themes seen throughout the collection.
Additionally, Kuma’s collaboration will also include similar materials and color palettes across Fendi’s popular handbags. Bark-like textures could be seen in the brand’s Peekaboo and Baguette Soft Trunk bags, bringing them a utilitarian effect topped by gleaming silver hardware — which were also shared on Kuma’s Instagram.
Fendi’s spring 2024 collection was shown as part of Milan Fashion Week Men’s, which showcases the newest menswear collections from Europe prior to the men’s shows in Paris. The season’s Milan lineup included a wide range of shows from labels including Prada, JW Anderson, Emporio Armani, Zegna and Neil Barrett, among others.
