The start of an emblematic brand born in Rome, Fendi.
Fendi's story began in Rome back in 1925. That was the year when Adele and Edoardo Fendi opened a shop selling small leather goods in the Italian capital. They also set up a workshop where they could work with fur. Nothing at that time led anyone to think that the couple from Rome would go on to achieve success on an interplanetary level. After the Second World War, Adele and Edoardo's five daughters, who were playfully known as the "five fingers", showing just how close they were, brought a fresh young vision to the firm. They broke all the existing fashion codes and brought out more modern collections. That was just the starting point of Fendi's worldwide success. The era would mark the brand's entry into the major league and the very closed world of luxury.
From pieces in fur to the fashion house's legendary Baguette bag.
In 1965, the five Fendi sisters set their sights on a young designer by the name of Karl Lagerfeld. The decision they took to hire him as creative director would completely overturn the course of the brand's history. The designer had a way with fur unlike any other person alive and was not afraid to use his creative genius to produce truly unique pieces. He also created the two letter Fs, which has become the ultimate symbol of the House of Fendi. The lines of ready-to-wear for men and women designed by Karl Lagerfeld met with resounding international success.
Another new arrival in the company marked the history of Fendi, that of Silvia, the founders' granddaughter. In 1997, it was she who came up with the design of the Baguette bag. It was, and is, a compact-format, practical bag you carry under your arm as you would the loaf of French bread known as a baguette. In the 1990s, it was a real innovation. The design is very different to the other items of leather goods the brand has produced. It has come out in over a thousand versions, and the Baguette bag has become a legendary product for the Italian label. Fendi's epic story is far from over. In the noughties, one major event propelled the brand into the fashion stratosphere - it became a part of the LVMH group. In 2005, Fendi saw the future big-scale and opened the Palazzo Fendi palace in Rome. There's no stopping the label from Rome now, and in 2007, it even organised a fashion show on the Great Wall of China.
The legacy of the past updated for the here and now.
For a longstanding House like Fendi, the main challenge is to constantly reinvent yourself on an almost daily basis to maintain your position on the cutting edge of fashion. The brand has risen admirably to that challenge. It has managed to preserve its strong DNA whilst infusing each new collection with a breath of fresh air. Communication is perfectly orchestrated, and implemented in such a way as to reach a very wide audience, without sacrificing any of the spirit of luxury.
When anyone thinks of Fendi, the Baguette bag is inevitably the first design which comes to mind. But other iconic pieces are also available on our platform. Clothing for women, men and children, leather goods and accessories, the following sections are definitely worth visiting: