Fendi models walk on water of Rome’s Trevi fountain in 90th anniversary show

Shimmering models wearing the latest creations by Fendi appeared to walk on water at a fairy tale show in Rome’s Trevi fountain to mark the luxury fashion house’s 90th anniversary.

Above the sparkling waters of the baroque fountain, models wearing hand-painted dresses in pale pink, blue and cream, adorned with hand-stitched flowers or starlit scenes, glided across a transparent catwalk in the basin.

The soft, luxurious collection of 46 outfits was inspired by Danish illustrator Kay Nielsen, who painted colour plates for the book Fairy Tales by Hans Christian Andersen in 1924 and also later worked for Disney, including on sequences of the film Fantasia.

Glittering evening gowns with slits up the sides transformed their wearers into modern-day Hansel and Gretels, the reflection of lights scintillating in the turquoise waters echoing the shine of pebbles glinting in the moonlight in the fairy tale.

Dresses were nipped in at the waist or featured a bell skirt, the house’s trademark fur coat made an appearance in lynx, but what wowed the 200 exclusive guests was a patterned cape, in grey silk, which opened at both the front and back.

Bags looked like they were made of fur but were actually tiny pieces of silk, sown together to look like snakeskin.