Tarout's Vision: Fendi's capsule collection created by the Japanese artist
In the year of Fendi's centenary , the animations of the Japanese character artist Tarout decorate garments and accessories of the men's collection for spring summer 2025. «In the work for Fendi I was guided by the word “family”. The first idea that came to mind when thinking about the story was an adventure to discover what the double F in the brand's logo means».
“During my first collaboration with Fendi in 2012, I met Silvia Venturini Fendi at the event where my hand-painted version of the Baguette for the fifteenth anniversary and my story “ Silvia and the Baguette ” were presented. I perceived a maternal kindness in her, which gave me the strength to face my creative activity with more confidence”, says the Japanese artist and illustrator Tarout, who to celebrate the centenary of the Roman Maison returns with a new limited edition cartoon that illustrates four generations of the family with playful scenes set in Palazzo Fendi. The illustrations, which animate the mini volume-album entitled “Silvia and The Baguette Illustrated Story - 2025”, tell the story of Silvia Venturini Fendi alongside her grandparents and founders of the Maison, Adele and Edoardo Fendi, her daughter Delfina Delettrez Fendi , artistic director of the jewellery store, and her children. All enriched with charms inspired by fruit, toast, onigiri and the Peekaboo and Baguette bags.
L'OFFICIEL: Your sources of inspiration?
TAROUT: When I was younger, characters like Snoopy from Peanuts and Miffy from Dick Bruna accompanied me growing up and I think they had a strong influence on me. Then came Fujiko F. Fujio, with the manga Doraemon, and during my adolescence Akira Toriyama who marked the history of manga with Dragoon Ball.
LO: How does your creative process work?
T: I first write down on paper what comes to mind and once the idea takes shape, I switch to the Mac to draw. Sometimes I trace lines with the mouse, other times I create shapes by distorting or deforming perfect circles, as if I were modeling clay. I am very meticulous, I take screenshots and look at them after a while to have a clearer vision. In my case, the speed at which I can shape the ideas in my head could not keep up without digital.
LO: How do the characters in your comics come about?
T: For my narratives I think of my characters as if they were real. This leads to having a broader vision of their world, like imagining that they have friends so they don't feel lonely or wondering what kind of world they would like to live in.
LO: What guided you the most in collaborating with Fendi?
T: The word “family”. The first idea that came to mind when thinking about the story was an adventure to discover what the double F in the Fendi logo means. Friends like Karl Lagerfeld, the future represented by Delfina Delettrez and her children, and above all the family tradition that starts with Adele and Edoardo. Furthermore, I perceived a great love for the city of Rome, closely linked to the history of the maison.
"I didn't expect my illustrations to be used so boldly! They were printed and embroidered into something brilliant and special." Tarout
LO: From your point of view, how do your illustrations match with Fendi ready-to-wear and accessories?
T: I think they came together in a really unique way. I didn’t expect my illustrations to be used so boldly! They were printed vividly on high-quality leather and embroidered with multiple threads, creating something bright and special that I was really excited about when I saw the final result.
