Kim Jones’ debut collection for Fendi as a womenswear designer tapped the bohemian, literary world of Virginia Woolf, bringing bookish glamour to his first haute couture runway show, at Paris Haute Couture Fashion Week on Wednesday (January 27). Fashion’s fairy tale escape from pandemic woes The celebrated British menswear talent, a veteran of Dior and Louis Vuitton, has taken up the mantle of Karl Lagerfeld, who died in 2019 after more than 50 years at the helm of the Italian brand. Fendi, part of the vast LVMH group , named Jones as successor last September, in a move expected to inject a strong dose of British cool into the brand known for its Roman flair and unapologetic use of fur. Wednesday’s show, held live for a virtual-only audience at the Palais Brongniart in Paris, featured supermodel Kate Moss and her daughter Lila Grace. Designer handbags to perfect your Emily in Paris look The A-list line-up also included Demi Moore, Naomi Campbell, Christy Turlington, Cara Delevingne and Bella Hadid, who sauntered down the elaborate, modern runway, pausing to pose in glassed-in garden enclosures. The Spring/Summer 2021 collection channelled an early 20th century feel – flowing capes, high collars and elaborate embroidery – with an added modern vibe. Fringes go mainstream as influencers opt for bags with tassels Jones said he was inspired by the Bloomsbury Group, the collective of London writers and intellectuals who included the modernist Woolf, for a collection in which “exquisite femininity and masculine androgyny appear as fluid choices rather than innate realities”. Both male and female models – some holding books – showcased the womenswear collection, marked by plunging black satin décolletages, elaborate beading and elongated silhouettes. Billionairess Nita Ambani and her enviable stable of luxury handbags A diaphanous grey silk tunic paired with tight python boots combined the ethereal with the animal, while a high Victorian collar of a gown in damask rose gave way to bare shoulders in a daring old-meets-new combination. In his show notes, Jones quoted Woolf’s novel Orlando . “Vain trifles as they seem, clothes have, they say, more important offices than to merely keep us warm. They change our view of the world and the world’s view of us.” Kim Kardashian leads return to 2000s retro glam with bags of sequins and crystals He also paid tribute to his predecessor, with monograms taken from Lagerfeld’s final collection beaded onto boots, as well as to the Fendi family. Also among the models were Leonetta and Delfina Fendi, daughters of Silvia Venturini Fendi, the granddaughter of the brand’s founders, who still heads up the menswear and accessories lines. Want more stories like this? Sign up here . Follow STYLE on Facebook , Instagram , YouTube and Twitter .