"THE HOUSE OF FENDI" - FIB's GUIDES TO DESIGNER FASHION

Written by: Niyati Libotte
Edited by: Chantelle Japardi
Narrated by: Paul G Roberts

For over 90 years, Fendi has been an internationally celebrated furrier and luxury goods fashion house acclaimed for elegance, luxurious innovation and timeless quality. The family owned house is particularly famous for their contributions to Italian women’s fashion, specialising in luxurious leather bags and fur goods.

Adele Casagrande and her husband Edoardo Fendi founded their famous fashion house in 1925 as leather goods label. Beginning as a small boutique in via del Plebiscito, Rome, the pair produced small and medium leather goods such as handbags. Their first major success was with their Selleria and handcrafted artisan bags in 1926. Soon production expanded to include a secret side hustle of fur goods. Known for superior craftmanship and quality product, the shop prospered through the following 2 decades, despite the potted fortunes of Italy’s economy through the 1930’s and WWII.

Edouardo Fendi died a year after that devastating war ended. Feeling the winds of change and now established as a name of some repute in Rome, the family-owned enterprise began its dynastic model. In 1946 Fendi’s operations were passed on to the next generation, the famous five Fendi daughters Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda. Joining the company, each took on a 20% share and specialised in a particular sector: furs, leatherwear, public relations and sales. This enthusiastic next gen of Fendi ushered in a new era for the brand, building up the label their parents had begun into an international style powerhouse known for its timeless, high quality goods. The 40’s birthed an era for Fendi that was defined by a wonderfully feminine and elegant aesthetic.

The handover marked the first major leadership shift away from the house’s stalwart bags, fur coats and leather goods. By 1965 the sisters began incorporating strategic partnerships, most notably through fostering a young Karl Lagerfeld in what was to become a lifelong collaboration. The relationship between Lagerfeld and the Fendi family was the longest in fashion history, spanning over 55 years, with Lagerfeld working closely with Anna’s daughter and creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi till his death.

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