Peekaboo-K: A Book Devoted to FENDI's Iconic Peekaboo Bag
To coincide with the 15th anniversary of the Peekaboo bag, created in 2008, the release of the book Peekaboo-K is timed. It tells the story of an icon: the concept, the craft, the continuous evolution, innovation and interpretation of Peekaboo from season to season - be it shape, size, comfort, performance or character.
Peekaboo first appeared on the catwalk during the women's show Spring-Summer 2009, then the collection was entirely a composition of exaggerated sizes, tapered petticoats, curved lines, clear, almost surgical shapes.
Silvia Venturini-Fendi notes: “Simplicity is true eccentricity. At that time, I was looking for a modern and modern traditional shape that would suit the most sophisticated women. Today, as before: simplicity is based on the concept of quiet luxury - like a special contrast of rich materials inside with basic ones outside. This is the only case when it is advisable to wear a bag unzipped and open.”
The playful name Peekaboo refers to the traditional children's game of hide and seek: " Peek-a-boo , I see you." Silvia Venturini-Fendi initially named the bag 'Hide-and-Seek' , but eventually settled on the name Peekaboo , which perfectly captures the surprise of the interior compartments, which, when twisted on the clasp, can reveal behind the signature 'smile' bags with sudden details and hidden beauty, as luxurious as the external one.
Peekaboo's structured architectural design has a traditional trapezoid shape, clean and minimalist, geometric and curvilinear at the same time. A study of opposites, where graceful minimalism meets the contrast of precious textures and colors. This is a kind of hidden narrative about the new classics: fine craft fashion is addressed to private life, so that its best side is the one that is not visible.
Like the bag itself, Peekaboo-K is an object of discovery and experience: the limited edition book is designed to capture the essence of Peekaboo and its versatility.
On the outside there is an axonometric cover with a three-dimensional design, inspired by the colours of the black and pink PeekabooISeeU bag, symbolizing timelessness and sophistication. Inside is a collection of photographs of 80 bags from the historical FENDI archive. The book has four chapters. Each covers 20 bags, each featuring the vision of a world-class fine-art and editorial photographer, with a short introduction from "Friend of the House."
Peekaboo-K presents a conversation that brings together the voices of three women from different generations of the Fendi family - Silvia Venturini-Fendi , Delfina Delettre-Fendi and Leonetta Luciano-Fendi .
Chapter 1 – A New Look at Texture
Experimenting, engraving, embossing and carving the surface of an iconic symbol: the Peekaboo's status as a cult classic has led to it being updated in over 1,000 finishes and sizes.
From fashion's most influential critics, French journalist and writer Sophie Fontanel gives her answer to the question: "Why did Peekaboo become part of fashion history?"
Chapter 2 – Canvas
Transforming the bag into a masterpiece through collaboration with international architects, designers, artists and creatives invited by FENDI to personalize the Peekaboo in white canvas or create your own version of the bag for special occasions for the House.
In 2023, Japanese architect Kengo Kuma creates a pikabu using the yatara-ami weaving technique: bamboo threads form fabric meshes. In his foreword, he reminds how important the feelings of the owner of a bag are to its enduring appeal.
Austrian artist and photographer Isabelle Wenzel explores the boundary between design and art: curved lines and colours, man moves in the ancient act of creation.
Chapter 3 – Eclectic Instinct
It's a story about the diversity of materials and looks that Peekaboo has embraced , a fusion of inspirations that come from far and wide and presented in a playful yet sophisticated form that is the essence of this bag.
Singer-songwriter, producer and actress Chloe Bailey is among the most influential voices of the new international art wave. Together with her sister Halle, she starred in the #MeAndMyPeekaboo campaign - a look into the future, towards the new and eclectic.
Austrian-born photographer Sebastian Lager tells the story through photographs, emphasizing the theme of freedom. He introduces paper props into the plot, balancing on the edge of irony.
Chapter 4 – FENDI Graphia
Codes and messages, values and symbols: Peekaboo carries the hallmarks of the Roman fashion house, from the mirrored FF logo to the Pequin stripes , as well as graphic abstract marks.
Multi-faceted, bringing out hidden talents at will, actress Naomi Watts stars in the chapter of the digital project #FENDIPeekaboo in 2021 to express the spirit of the FENDI woman.
Surrounding geometry with warm tones, London-based photographer Adrien Dubos places the Peekaboo bag within a structured space of shapes and lines to highlight its essence.
From a wink to a big smile, the Peekaboo-K book vividly embodies what the Peekaboo bag for FENDI is all about. These are formal attributes mixed with a refined taste for the game, these are subtle intonations, witty and ironic, but above all, this is a powerful personality, skill and a masterpiece of craftsmanship.
Available on fendi.com and selected FENDI boutiques worldwide from October 2023.
