Smooth as latte
by Noelle Loh

Scribbled in chalk on a blackboard in front of a cafe counter were the words 'caramel latte', 'hot cocoa' and 'cappuccino'. However, in this case, they did not refer to just lip-smacking beverages. They are the names of the latest colours in Fendi's range of its classic Selleria bags. Urban got a taste of the Italian brand's latest offerings - from bags to gorgeous dresses - at its spring/summer 2009 South-east Asia press presentation last month. Trust the flamboyant fashion house - which famously turned a section of the Great Wall of China into its runway in 2007 - to brew up something different. Instead of the usual office showroom or boutique presentation, it flew journalists from Singapore, Malaysia and Thailand to Kuala Lumpur for a one-day session. Lunch was at chic Bangsar eatery Alexis, praised in the travel guide of British design magazine Wallpaper for its raw timber and steel finishes and pan-Asian cuisine. After that, for some uniquely Fendi coffee culture, journalists were taken to an art gallery in the posh Damansara Heights area. Fendi had transformed the intimate, single-storey Galeri Chandan into a showroom and cafe. Guests included top Malaysian model Bernie Chan and singer Syafinaz Selamat, who rubbed shoulders with journalists in the sparse yet artfully designed room, done up in wood and concrete, in coffee tones of white, beige and taupe. Witty touches included the blackboard coffee menu referring to the latest colours for its Selleria bags. There were also photos on the walls showing the laborious technique of making the handmade leather bag, whose design feature is its large saddle stitches.

Then, of course, there were the stars of the show - the clothes from the venerable fashion house, under the design helm of maestro Karl Lagerfeld. The season's key looks were arranged on a fishing line hanging from the high ceiling. The effect was as if they were floating; apt, considering the romantic, fairytale appeal of the clothes. Among them: a leather skirt, laser-cut to resemble tablecloth lace; shift dresses adorned with hand-dyed silk rosettes; and bell-shaped dresses with skirts made from 'transparent fur' - all testament to Lagerfeld's famed technical prowess. Examples of Fendi's classic city carrier Bag De Jour, named after the 1967 French film Belle De Jour, sat on acrylic shelves. The tote, a Fendi classic since the 1960s, was shown off in shades of black, white, red, pink and baby blue patent, along with a new zipper in front this season. If all that was not delightful enough, when guests were served their coffees, the famous double F logo created by Lagerfeld in the 1960s was etched in cocoa-powder in the foam. Bravo. THE CLASSIC SELLERIA In 1925, Fendi used the same leather crafting technique practised by traditional saddle makers on a selection of its bags and called the range Selleria, which means saddlery in Italian.



Accessories were later included in the collection, which is updated with new shades every season. The signature traits of Selleria leather goods are the large stitching along the hems and their super-soft texture - the result of treating the Roman calf hide for 24 to 48 hours. Every Selleria bag, the mainstay of the collection, has a silver plaque engraved with a serial number. Bag designs that have been updated this season include the famous Baguette pocket handbag ($2,075); the Hobo ($2,220), the Messenger ($1,775 for a small and $2,005 for a medium-sized design); the Pomodorino, a tote with a rounded bottom ($3,135); the Roll, a shopping bag that can be rolled into the size of a fold-up umbrella ($2,260); the Linda, a tote with a flap cover ($2,915); and the Villa Borghese, a tote that has the tooled imprint of a horse on its front ($3,135 for a medium-sized design and $3,555 for a large one). Accessories are priced from $150 for a leather bracelet while small leather goods are priced from $200 for a coin pouch. The spring/summer 2009 Selleria range is available at the Fendi boutique at 01-31 Takashimaya Shopping Centre.
This article was first published in Urban, The Straits Times.