Fendi Teams Up with Hiroshi Fujiwara and Pokémon to Celebrate the Year of the Dragon

The 2024 Fendi Year of the Dragon initiative is a lively and creative tribute to the Lunar New Year.

The house of Fendi, artist Hiroshi Fujiwara, and The Pokémon Company have joined creative forces to commemorate the special event in a collaboration that fuses tradition, craftsmanship, and pop culture.

The special FENDI x FRGMT x POKÉMON collection transforms Fendi’s iconic bags and accessories into mini pop monuments through a collaboration with Japanese artist and designer Hiroshi Fujiwara, his label Fragment Design, and the global Pokémon brand.

A multidisciplinary artist whose work spans fashion, music and design, Fujiwara has been nicknamed the “godfather of streetwear” for his role as a trailblazer in Japan’s club and fashion scene.

The Fendi initiative expands on a shared history between Fuijwara and Kim Jones, Fendi artistic director of womenswear, which dates back to a 1999 meeting in London, when Jones was inspired by the artist’s dynamic spirit.

“What can I say? He’s one of my idols and I love him,” Jones says. “I’ve been in love with Japan for a long time; its influence on me and what I do is huge–Hiroshi is a major part of that.”

Under Fujiwara’s vision, Fendi’s classic FF jacquard logo in shades of tobacco brown or sunny yellow acts as backdrop to playful Pokémon figures frolicking on the surface as 3D marquetry— namely Dratini, Dragonair, and Dragonite, animated characters that honor the Fendi Year of the Dragon initiative.

The lineup includes the Peekaboo and Baguette bags, along with small leather goods, men’s accessories, jewelry, and clothing items.

“Our bag shapes are a logo themselves; they’re so representative of the House. Our workmanship is another important part of our iconography. At the same time, we never want to be too precious with either–we enjoy celebrating both in new ways!” says Silvia Venturini Fendi, artistic director of accessories and menswear.

The collection is part of “Friends of Fendi”: a series of diverse projects that view fashion through a lens of friendship and genuine partnership, conceived by both Venturini Fendi and Jones.

Fujiwara was happy to be part of the latest initiative. “When Kim asks me to work on a project together, I have no reason to say no,” he says. “It was a true honor to work with the house of Fendi, a traditional brand with outstanding craftsmanship.”