FASHION FRIENDS: Could Kim Jones, who has a penchant for collaborations, be plotting one with his fashion buddy Stefano Pilati?
According to market sources, the collaboration under discussion would be at Fendi, where Jones has already unfurled projects with two other designers with whom he is very friendly — Donatella Versace and Marc Jacobs.
It is understood the proposed tie-up could be unveiled as early as November.
Fendi officials could not immediately be reached for comment.
Best known for his tenures at the design helm of Yves Saint Laurent and Zegna, Pilati has recently dabbled in furniture design alongside his Berlin-based fashion collection Random Identities.
He is prized for his keen fashion instincts, voluptuous, innovative tailoring — and knack for eye-catching shoes and handbags.
The dapper Italian designer made a splash during Paris Fashion Week last June, taking in Jones’ spring 2024 men’s show for Dior, and walking the runway for Pharrell Williams’ debut as menswear creative director at Louis Vuitton.
Stefano Pilati on Louis Vuitton’s spring 2024 runway.
Giovanni Giannoni/WWD
Last fall, Pilati rebooted his Random Identities label after a two-year hiatus and lined up a like-minded distribution partner in Dover Street Market Paris.
Random Identities was boundary-breaking when it was first unveiled in 2018, initially as a joint venture with Canadian online retailer Ssense. Genderless, seasonless and luxurious, but at a contemporary price point, it draws on gay and club culture in Berlin, where Pilati has based himself since leaving Ermenegildo Zegna in 2016 following a three-year stint.
The designer is best known for succeeding Tom Ford at Yves Saint Laurent, where he served as creative director from 2004 to 2012. Earlier in his career, he worked in senior design and fabric development positions for a number of Italian design houses, including Miu Miu, Prada and Giorgio Armani.
Jones, who in September 2020 signed on as Fendi’s artistic director of haute couture, ready-to-wear and fur collections for women, wasted little time in pursuing collaborations and in September 2021 unveiled a full-scale brand swap with Versace.
Last year, he tapped Jacobs to create a collection within spring 2023 Fendi women’s collection, and also teamed with Tiffany & Co. for special Baguette handbags.
