Fragments of architecture, incandescently lit, were suspended on a dark runway inside the neoclassical Palais Brongniart. Above it, adding to the drama hovered a giant orb of white light. This was, Jones said, the realm of “the celestial Rome” – reinterpreted by his irreverent eye.

This season’s inspiration seemed, at first, mundane enough: Jones’ walk to work at the Fendi atelier in Rome, where he passes by historic monuments only to arrive in a contemporary environment. Yet, the designs explored a juxtaposition between his commute’s “statuesque marbles” and its “ecclesiastical aesthetics” with another futuristic, very sensual vision.

Models walked out to a flash of a strobe light, in a slick effect suggesting they had just been produced by some heavenly seamstress.

The designs were equally slick. A shimmering black gown with polo neck and cap evoked a priest’s cassock – with the model holding a beaded cord. The skirt was slit, her leg exposed and her head cocked downward provocatively.

Elsewhere, a black silk gown whose embroideries gleamed like armour looked part heavenly princess, part warrior. The model clutched a handbag resembling either a royal orb or spiked ball. The duality was great fashion staging and thrilling guests, including Prometheus (2012) star Noomi Rapace.

Religious imagery – sadly, sometimes a tad heavy handed – was splashed across duchesse silks and organzas that merged with inches of exposed flesh for this bold take on couture.

Fur free Fendi? Not quite

It has opted instead to scale down the use of exotic skins and fur progressively, as opposed to banning it outright.

One house closely associated with fur historically is the Rome-based Fendi, whose long-time designer Karl Lagerfeld would heap fur onto his designs and coined the phrase “fun fur” to describe his hairy styles. Animal rights activists would perennially protest outside Fendi couture shows in Paris.

Since Lagerfeld’s death in 2019, there has been some evolution on that theme at Fendi, although critics say that’s possibly because its younger clients are more sensitive to animal rights.

In Jones’ spring Fendi couture offering, there were no animal rights protesters, and on the runway itself only a relative speckling of fur.

The house said fur was used solely on five looks this season, including an embroidered fur coat and a cape in shaved mink.

Though it’s not fur-free, it’s certainly a case of being scaled back.