Bras emerged as a prominent styling element on Fendi's spring/summer 2027 runway as Maria Grazia Chiuri drew inspiration from late Italian entertainer Raffaella Carrà.
Presented during Milan Fashion Week on 23 September, the collection featured visible lace bras, sheer dresses, silk shorts, fur and other references to the glamorous styles associated with the 1970s. Chiuri, who returned to Fendi after leaving Dior in 2025, identified Carrà as an important influence on the collection and described the singer and television personality as an 'incredible feminist'.
'She was an incredible feminist, and her relationship with her clothes was so free,' Chiuri said. Rather than recreating Carrà's costumes directly, the collection drew on the freedom and sexuality associated with her public image.
Fendi Puts Bras on Display for Spring 2027
Visible lingerie appeared throughout Fendi's spring/summer 2027 presentation. Models walked the runway in lace bras and bralettes, with some looks pairing them with silk shorts, sheer fabrics and fur. Other outfits used diaphanous dresses that allowed lingerie underneath to remain visible. The collection also included plunging shirts, embroidered waistcoats, leopard-print elements and vintage fur stoles.
The styling reflected a broader focus on the relationship between clothing and the body. Chiuri said fashion could give 'another sense to the body', describing clothing as part of the language people use to express themselves.
The runway was staged around a mirrored installation inspired by Italian artist Luciano Fabro's Cubo di specchi, with reflections altering the audience's view of models as they moved through the space.
Why Raffaella Carrà Inspired Fendi's Collection
Carrà, who died in 2021 at the age of 78, was one of Italy's most recognisable singers, dancers and television personalities.
Her performances also challenged expectations surrounding how women could present themselves on mainstream Italian television. In 1970, Carrà attracted attention after exposing her midriff on television, at a time when such styling was considered provocative in Italy.
She later became associated with cropped tops, sequins and fitted stage wear. Carrà's songs also became associated with themes of female independence and sexuality. Contemporary accounts of her career have highlighted the significance of those themes within the social and cultural context of Italy at the time.
Chiuri pointed to that independence when explaining why Carrà became an important reference for the Fendi collection. Carrà's song 'Rumore' was also incorporated into the soundtrack for the Milan presentation.
Chiuri Returns to Where Her Fashion Career Began
Chiuri's latest collection also brings her career back to a fashion house where she spent a decade early in her career. She worked at Fendi from 1989 to 1999 as an accessories designer, where she worked alongside Pierpaolo Piccioli. Chiuri and Piccioli subsequently moved to Valentino, initially working in accessories before taking on broader creative responsibilities. They were appointed co-creative directors of the fashion house in 2008.
Chiuri left Valentino in 2016 to join Dior, becoming the first woman to serve as creative director of the French fashion house's womenswear collections. She remained at Dior for nine years, from 2016 to 2025, before returning to Fendi.
Throughout her time at Dior, Chiuri frequently incorporated the work and ideas of female artists, writers and historical figures into collections and runway presentations. Her decision to draw on Carrà at Fendi continues that interest while focusing on a figure closely associated with Italian popular culture.
Fendi Mixes Lingerie With Fur and 1970s Styling
Although visible bras attracted attention, lingerie represented only one element of the collection. Fendi also presented long dresses with cut-out details, embellished garments, silk shorts edged with lace and pieces incorporating fur. Leopard prints appeared alongside striped shirts and more structured garments.
The collection also included another interpretation of Fendi's Baguette bag, reduced to a size intended to hold little more than a mobile phone. These pieces placed the lingerie-inspired styling alongside established elements of Fendi's luxury fashion vocabulary.
Raffaella Carrà's Influence Returns to the Runway
More than five years after Carrà's death, her influence remains visible in Italian popular culture. Fendi's spring/summer 2027 collection brought that influence onto the Milan runway through lingerie, sheer fabrics and references to 1970s glamour. The collection also allowed Chiuri to return to a subject that featured repeatedly during her nine years at Dior: women whose work challenged expectations surrounding female identity and expression.
Bras may have provided one of the show's most noticeable visual elements, but Chiuri's stated inspiration went beyond underwear. Her description of Carrà as an 'incredible feminist' placed the clothes within a wider tribute to the freedom she associated with the Italian entertainer.
