FENDI Dives Into The World Of Pokémon With Latest Collection

Have plans to celebrate Lunar New Year? If you’re in need of gifting ideas (for family, friends or yourself), then start with the newest collection from FENDI, which teams up with Fragment and Pokémon to celebrate the Year of the Dragon.

Find More Lunar New Year Gifting Inspo Here

FENDI Turns To For Latest Collection

It’s been quite a year for pop culture in the luxury space. From Mulberry’s Lunar New Year collab with Miffy and Cambridge Satchel’s 50th birthday celebrations for Hello Kitty to Tiffany & Co’s range of Pokémon-themed pendants, we’re starting to see well-recognised animated characters carving a new reputation for themselves as fashionable, luxury collectibles.

The next luxury brand to join the throng is FENDI, which is opening up its doors to a series of surprise collaborators in 2024 as part of its ‘Friends of FENDI’ project (conceived by the brand’s artistic directors Kim Jones and Silvia Venturini Fendi). The next major collab will be with legendary Japanese artist and designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, the founder of collaborative design brand Fragment Design. His previous team-ups include the Anti Social Social Club, Vlone and Nike.

‘I first met Hiroshi Fujiwara in London in 1999 – and what can I say? He’s one of my idols and I love him,’ said Kim Jones, FENDI Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear. ‘He’s an instigator of the Japanese club scene, its youth fashion scene and its streetwear scene. I have been in love with Japan for a long time; its influence on me and what I do is huge – Hiroshi is a major part of that.’

‘Our bag shapes are a logo themselves; they are so representative of the House,’ added Silvia Venturini Fendi, FENDI Artistic Director of Accessories and Menswear. ‘While our workmanship is another important part of our iconography. At the same time, we never want to be too precious with either – we enjoy celebrating both in new ways! It’s a living history that Hiroshi Fujiwara adds to with both FRGMT and Pokémon; he’s taken our handbags and made them into mini pop monuments.’

But we know that FENDI never does things by halves, and the brand has decided to spice things up a bit in the lead up to Lunar New Year by tacking on another collaborator: The Pokémon Company. The three big-name brands will come together in early January for a collection of ready-to-wear and accessories spotlighting Dragon-type Pokémon as a homage to the Year of the Dragon.

What Can We Expect From The FENDI x FRGMT x POKÉMON Collection?

Some of FENDI’s most recognisable style heroes – including its Peekaboo and Baguette bags – will be transformed with Pokémon characters, as well as Hiroshi’s FRGMT signature on the iconic FF jacquard logo. The collection will span bags, t-shirts, small leather goods and jewellery.

A teaser of the collection revealed FENDI bags decked out in the FF and FRGMT logos, as well as patches depicting the likes of popular Dragon-type Pokémon Dragonite, Dratini and Dragonair. It’s also been revealed that character bags (shaped from the faces of these Pokémon) will be available. Some small leather goods, such as pouches, wallets and Dragonite key charms will animate the collection further.

A special rendition of FENDI’s iconic baguette will showcase more Pokémon characters and the FF logo in tiny, twinkling beads, with a matching fringe trim running along the bottom of the bag.

A small selection of jewellery will also be available, with earrings, bracelets, necklaces and rings combining the FF logo with recognisable Pokémon signatures like characters are the iconic Pokéball. The Pokéball in particular showcases an exciting design, as it opens to reveal the FF logo once again.

Some clothing, in the form of t-shirts, hoodies and silk FF pyjamas with Dragonite designs, will also be up for grabs.

Pokémon enthusiasts, meanwhile, will be after the leather model of Dragonite. A collector’s item, it has been crafted by hand by FENDI’s leather artisans over more than 30 hours. Made using qualitative leathers and branded with its own silk FF foulard, the Dragonite model will be available in a limited series.

FENDI Will Also Be Teaming Up With Pokémon GO

As part of a wider collaboration, FENDI will also be working closely with Fragment and Pokémon on a new partnership for the Pokémon GO mobile game. Players will be able to kit out their Pokémon GO Trainers with digital avatar items – featuring designs from the ENDI x FRGMT x POKÉMON collaboration – from 4 January 2024.

When Will The Collection Come Out?

The FENDI x FRGMT and FENDI x FRGMT x POKÉMON collections will be available in selected FENDI boutiques worldwide and on the FENDI website from 4 January 2024. fendi.com

Images courtesy of FENDI