Fendi opens at Mall of the Emirates

The newly opened Fendi store in Mall of The Emirates has separate spaces for men and women. Antonie Robertson / The National

Fendi’s new space at the Mall of the Emirates marks a sleek new look for the Italian fashion house – and a couple of commissions special to the region: the classic woman’s Fendista shoe with a new Arabian twist in Ramadan-inspired blue; and the purple crocodile Mini Peekaboo Bag, created exclusively for the launch and limited to just three pieces worldwide.

Following the grand elegance of Italian monuments, the store is defined by vaulted lines, and a muted stone coloured palette.

However, because the new Fendi is more interested in the future than the past, this is not a literal facsimile. Inside are shelves filled with typically beautiful wallets, purses and bags, but now adorned in bright finishes and monster motifs. This design is gleefully scattered through the store, covering everything from backpacks, to shoes, phone accessories, and even embellished onto ready-to-wear. There are also numerous, small, colourful bag charms – Bag Bugs and Karlito’s – with the latter fashioned into the uncanny likeness of Fendi designer Karl Lagerfeld, complete with starched white collars.

The fun continues with shocking pink, pony-skin bags sheared to resemble mock croc, while Sports Chic sweat tops are intricately embroidered in bright colours.

The heritage of the house has not been forgotten, though. The famous Baguette Bag, has been given its own trophy cabinet, in the form of the Spike Wall – 40,000 fine rods on which the bags are hung. The heel design of the women’s Pre Fall collection shoe was directly inspired by the architecture of The Palazzo, the grand Roman building that became Fendi’s head office.

The men’s section is the first large dedicated space in the UAE, and carries a good selection of ready-to-wear and leather goods. As expected, monster motifs are present here, too, but handled in a far quieter way: their faces are shrunk and repeated to create prints for shirts. There is an in-store customisation service for leather bags and pouches, where initials are added in either Arabic or English while one waits.

But for the truly discerning customer, there is the Selleria range. The most spectacularly high-end of all Fendi bags, they are handmade and handstitched, each piece taking hours to create.

Tucked discreetly away at the back of the store is the VIP area, ready to be closed off from prying eyes with a sliding wall. As expected, this area houses the most expensive items, from glossy coats to delicately embellished evening wear. Even here, the monster surfaces, but now handled so lightly it’s almost unrecognisable. One dress is made of fabric so artfully shredded, it almost resembles feathers. Evening bags are richly decorated in crystals, and shoes are swathed in embellishment. And in a nod back to the label’s illustrious history, a wall carries a sketch by Mr Lagerfeld, dated 1971, and showing a design for a cape.

• Fendi is on the top floor of the central atrium (opposite the new Burberry store) in the Mall of the Emirates. Prices are upon request. Ramadan hours are 10am to 2am on weekdays and 10am to 3am on weekends