Fans of Rome can get a taste of the Italian fashion and cultural capital at the new Fendi pop-up kiosk at Ion Orchard.
The designed-in-Italy kiosk - a reinterpretation of the Roman-style vintage newsstands found in a typical square in the heart of Rome - opened yesterday evening as part of the opening celebrations for the luxury brand's fourth store in Singapore.
The octagonal dark green structure, a classic shape for traditional Roman newsstands, features materials inspired by apartments in the city, such as brass, rosewood, velvet and parquet wooden floors. Luminous Fendi logos adorn its exterior.
In Singapore, the kiosk will feature the men's collections, with a focus on bags and accessories such as bag charms, small leather goods and sunglasses. Guests can also take home free postcards.
The travelling pop-up store will remain in Singapore until Feb 15 before moving on to Siam Paragon mall in Bangkok.
Fendi's kiosk is in line with the pop-up trend that global luxury fashion houses have been adopting in recent years. Chanel and Louis Vuitton recently launched pop-up concepts in Singapore to much fanfare.
Ms Clara Goh, marketing and communications director, South-east Asia for Fendi, says that the pop-up concept is a unique way to bring together traditional Roman culture and fashion.
Fans of the brand will note that the new Fendi boutique offers a refreshed store concept, showcasing the furs that the brand is known for. Large swatches of colourful furs are framed as art pieces and one frame has hinges allowing the fur to be flipped over to show the craftsmanship that goes into the design and production of each handmade piece.
This will also be the first boutique in Orchard Road to showcase the brand's entire men's collection, including ready-to-wear, shoes, leather goods and accessories.
To celebrate the new store's opening, Fendi has created a Singapore exclusive Mini Peekaboo bag in velvet, featuring a tapestry weaving pattern as well as the signature Fendi whipstitch detailing.
Only six pieces of the bag, which retails at $10,100, will be available here.
Home-maker Kiran Kaur, 39, who was shopping at the mall, says the kiosk has piqued her curiosity.
"I would be keen to check it out when it is open," she says. "It has a lot of interesting design details and it reminds me a lot of the many newsstands that I saw when I was travelling in Rome with my family."
