February 27, 2025 |
Fendi, the Roman house famed for its leather and fur craftsmanship celebrated its centenary with a huge show, which put the incredible atelier at its heart. This 100th anniversary collection was designed by artistic director of accessories and menswear collections, Silvia Venturini Fendi, whose grandparents Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande Fendi founded the house in 1925.
The family presence was felt in the carpeted and mirrored show space, designed to resemble the historic Fendi boutique on Via Borgognona, where the five Fendi sisters worked. The invite was a mini Fendi family photo album, showing the dynasty through the years in looks that directly inspired the designer who explained she’d designed from personal memory rather than a deep dive into the archive.
Venturini Fendi, majored on Fendi’s exceptional craft. Almost all of the fur coats in the show were, the house said, made in shearling which the atelier skilfully manipulated to re-create the textures of mink, fox and sable. You couldn’t tell the difference.
“Fendi-ness, where irony and humour mingle with sobriety, and sensuality is instilled with a Roman rigour,” said the press release.
Their exceptional skills were also on display in the leathers the house specialises in. Eel skin and leather macs and car coats looked sumptuous. Suede oversized shirts were supple and velvet soft. Adding to the softness, were knits with a fit and flare femininity, and tweedy tailoring, sprinkled with crystal embellishments. Almost every model carried a bag, some carried clusters of the house’s famed baguettes.
The show opened with Venturini Fendi’s two six year old grandsons wearing replicas of a look Karl Lagerfeld (who joined the house in 1966 and designed its fur and womenswear until his death in 2019) had created for the designer to wear at a Fendi show when she was also just six. It was a full circle moment. Here’s to the next 100 years.
Photography courtesy of Fendi.
