Get to Know…FENDI

Now a staple in the fashion community for its intriguing designs and flawless execution, the house of FENDI established itself in 1925 in none other than Rome, Italy. Married couple Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande began selling handbags and furs in their first boutique storefront the following year at the Via del Plebiscito, a crossroad for Roman nobility. After nearly two decades of establishing a presence in Rome, Edoardo and Adele’s five daughters joined the family business in the 1940s and 50s, adding innovative design and fresh ideas to the brand. In 1965, the five sisters anticipated future trends in women’s fashion and enlisted the help of the then-young and buzzed about designer, Karl Lagerfeld. It was then that the FENDI brand was revolutionized.

Husband and wife Adele Casagrande and Edoardo Fendi established the house of FENDI in 1925.

Upon joining the house of FENDI, Karl Lagerfeld transformed its usage of furs by cutting, dying and pleating them in order to create lightweight fur pieces for daily wear during any season, and most notably designed the legendary FENDI logo as a double FF meaning “Fun Fur.” Years after continuing to grow the house, FENDI presented its first Ready-To-Wear Collection in 1977 with Lagerfeld playing a critical role in the collection’s production and style. In true FENDI style, the release was unveiled to the public in a unique, artful way through the short movie Histoire d”Eau, considered to be the first film in the history of fashion.

Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi pose in a Fendi showeroom in Milan. Lagerfeld designed the legendary FENDI logo as a double FF meaning “Fun Fur,” as seen on the right.

Through the eighties and nineties, FENDI continued to dominate the fashion world, opening its first U.S. boutique on 5^th Avenue in New York in 1989, followed by the creation of their first menswear collection in 1990. Silvia Venturini Fendi, daughter of one of the five Fendi sisters, joined the company in 1992 and began working alongside Karl Lagerfeld to oversee creative direction before taking the reigns as Director of Leather Goods and Accessories in 1994, receiving instant buzz for her reinterpretation of the iconic Selleria line. Silvia continued to work diligently to expand the brand’s leather goods and accessories business with the creation of the Baguette bag in 1997 and the Peekaboo bag in 2009, both of which became known for their cult following. Today, Silvia serves as Creative Director of Accessories and Menswear.

Daughter to one of the five Fendi sisters, Silvia Venturini Fendi, was instrumental in creating a cult following for many of FENDI’s bag collections.

In 2015, FENDI celebrated its 50^th Anniversary of collaboration with Karl Lagerfeld, setting a record for the longest relationship a fashion house has ever held with a designer. Just last year, the brand also celebrated its 90-year anniversary in Rome, a tribute to where the brand started almost a century before. With such a rich history, FENDI continues to build upon past styles, re-inventing themselves year after year.

FENDI creates stylish and playful pieces with the Fall/Winter 2017-18 Accessories Collection.

In the upcoming Fall/Winter 2017-18 Collection, dark and romantic hues of reds, blues, and earth tones characterize women’s pieces, inspired by Viennese woodblock printing and 18^th century Italian hand-printed books. Graphic patterns come to life on everything from knitwear to fur to silk garments. For men, bright, energized colors are infused into comfortable, athletic styles that are suitable for everyday-wear. Both men and women will find pieces that make a statement all on their own or together.

Fall/Winter 2017-18 Collection. Contact the boutique for full product information and availability.

Find the best of the collection at FENDI’s first Dallas storefront right here in Highland Park Village.