Oscar-winning actress Catherine Zeta-Jones and daughter Carys Zeta Douglas go on a journey through the Eternal City in celebration of love and fashion.
The pair is backgrounded here by the Palazzo Altemps, a 15 th -century palace converted into a museum housing priceless art and antiques. The Peekaboo’s Pequin stripes (below right) mirrors the Palazzo’s warm stone hues
Evident from her memorable turns in films such as The Mask of Zorro, Entrapment, Ocean’s Twelve and Chicago, which nabbed her an Academy Award, Catherine Zeta‑Jones has always exuded movie‑star magic and an aura of glamour—qualities she parlayed into a rich career playing bombshells and glamazons. In this photographic portfolio, the actress showed off a different, softer side as she travelled to Rome with her daughter Carys Zeta Douglas to view Fendi’s haute couture collection earlier this summer.
The collection itself was a feat of artistry, inspired by age‑old Roman marbles and mosaics, but cut into sleek, modern shapes. This dialogue between the classical and the contemporary also found its way into the mother‑daughter duo’s shoot, which juxtaposed the clean, modernist lines of the Fendi Peekaboo with the grandeur of the Eternal City’s historical wonders. In Douglas’ hands, the bag that made its debut more than a decade ago was given a fresh spin, worn with the ease of a white T‑shirt.
The fashion world is sitting up and taking notice of the charismatic 16‑year‑old blessed with the genetic gifts of both Zeta‑Jones and Michael Douglas. Besides Fendi’s couture extravaganza, she has been hitting the international fashion week circuit and popping up in style publications—mostly with her mother for now, but it won’t be long before she commands the spotlight all by herself. Here, the duo talk family, fashion and Fendi.
WORK OF ART
CATHERINE ZETA-JONES: Fearless.
We are very close. We talk about everything.
The Peekaboo is timeless yet modern. I love its shape with those beautiful lines and the variety of colours.
Serving as backdrop here is the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana, a hulking symbol of modernity commissioned by Mussolini in 1943 that now serves as the Fendi headquarters after being restored by the brand in 2015. A red-hot Fendi Peekaboo (left) pops against the building’s cool travertine marble, while Zeta-Jones and Douglas conduct a lesson in chic opposites, with the actress pairing a soft silk blouse with tailored trousers and her daughter offsetting a casual tee with a ladylike pleated skirt
MODERN MUSE
How is your relationship with your mother?
She taught me not only about the ins and outs of life, but also to have fun and cherish every moment. Our sense of humour is pretty similar, so we are always laughing together— she is the funniest person I know.
It means family. The second we started working together, they made us feel right at home and so welcomed. It is also elegance and timelessness—everything it means to be an Italian brand.
I think the Peekaboo and I both have that sense of versatility. We are able to work and adapt to different situations easily, whether in fashion or in life.
We had so much fun. The team played music the whole time and we were dancing between takes. What I liked the most about the city was the light. Depending on the time of day, Rome would be cast in different shades of gold. It was absolutely stunning.
