FENDI has tapped the inventive spirit of London-based designer Lewis Kemmenoe for Design Miami 2024, bringing a new layer of intrigue to the design fair—ænigma. The collaboration seamlessly merges Kemmenoe’s signature aesthetic with FENDI’s Roman grandeur, resulting in a body of work that feels as much a riddle as it does an artful expression of craft.
Kemmenoe, known for his work in furniture design, immersed himself in FENDI’s world—visiting Rome’s iconic museums, botanical gardens, and FENDI’s headquarters, as well as spending time at the brand’s Tuscany factory. The collection takes its name, ænigma, from the Latin word for ‘riddle’ or ‘puzzle,’ but also nods to the English ‘enigma’ – an apt descriptor for a collection that invites you to look, analyze, and ponder.
The pieces are a tactile confluence of Kemmenoe’s fascination with construction techniques and FENDI’s deep-rooted luxury. Box joints aren’t just a means of assembly—they become a canvas to embed the iconic FENDI FF motif. Timber patchwork—a hallmark of Kemmenoe’s practice—gets a new twist, reimagining a jacket pattern straight from FENDI’s atelier. Even Rome’s pine trees get their moment, with bark cast into brass and aluminum, transforming an organic element into something sleek, almost otherworldly.
The collection thrives on dualities—organic meets processed, raw nature pairs with the precision of metalwork. Kemmenoe’s FENDI Chairs are a prime example: one rendered in brass, the other in aluminum, each embodying a distinct yet connected materiality. The ænigma collection spans two chairs, a cabinet, wall panels, lamps, a coffee table, three vessels, and a reinterpretation of FENDI’s iconic Peekaboo Soft bag.
Kemmenoe’s take on the Peekaboo Soft Medium bag is all about the details. FENDI’s leathers are cut into jacket patterns, stitched into a tactile patchwork that evokes Kemmenoe’s furniture. The hardware echoes the collection’s material play—with timber forming the internal bar and silver and brass screws tying it all together. Open the bag, and there’s a hidden wood texture, a reminder of the craftsmanship at its core.
