September 29, 2025 |
Silvia Venturini Fendi is stepping into a new role at Fendi. From October 1, the current creative director of the Roman house will become its Honorary President. The announcement follows her final show for the house last week, which tapped into an intoxicated use of colour for SS26, in celebration of Fendi’s centennial year.
“These have been truly exciting years, a journey I have walked also in the name of my grandmother Adele, my mother Anna, and her sisters,” says Venturini Fendi in a statement. “My heart turns to Karl, an extraordinary master who granted me the honour of working by his side, teaching me the art of sharing, a defining quality in my family’s history of women, while guiding me to nurture and protect my own creative vision so that I could then fly on my own. What a wonderful journey it has been, not only creatively but also from a human perspective: first through my bond with Karl Lagerfeld, then with Kim Jones and last but not least with my fantastic team, which over the years has become part of my family.”
Officially joining the house in 1992 under the direction of Karl Lagerfeld, Venturini Fendi can be credited with the design of the iconic Baguette bag (1997). The granddaughter of Fendi founders Edoardo and Adele Fendi, Venturini Fendi first stepped up to the men’s creative podium in 2000 following an extended stint working on accessories, beginning in 1994. Then in 2019, following Karl Lagerfeld’s death, she took over the maison’s womenswear arm before returning her attention to menswear and accessories after Kim Jones’ appointment to creative director of Fendi womenswear in 2020.
Following Jones’ departure in October 2024, Venturini Fendi has been heading up both the men’s and women’s departments, alongside accessories, directing the women’s collections during its centennial year.
Now, in her new capacity as Honorary President, Venturini Fendi will focus on supporting the Roman house’s storied heritage, while continuing to champion the brand on a global scale and promoting its rich history, exceptional craftsmanship and the world of Fendi Casa. Inside the 25th anniversary issue of 10 Magazine, Venturini tells our very own Claudia Croft, “Our motto here at Fendi is “nothing is impossible” – let’s see where it takes us! In the future, we will continue the way we did by embracing new challenges with the same curiosity. That’s the secret: be open-minded. We may be a traditional company with a big history, but when many things were changing, we were always there to take risks. That’s part of the Fendi DNA.”
A new creative organisation for Fendi is yet to be announced.
Click here to read our interview with the designer as she discusses 100 years of Fendi finery inside the 25th anniversary issue of 10 Magazine. Photography courtesy of Fendi.
