Fendi’s 100th Anniversary: The Evolution of an Italian Fashion Powerhouse
Viva la Fendi
Fendi turns 100 this year—a monumental milestone that celebrates not just its legacy, but also its enduring influence on Italian style, craftsmanship, and culture. From a humble Roman atelier to one of fashion’s most recognised names, the Fendi story is rich with reinvention, family legacy, and creative courage. But how did it all begin?
It all started in 1925, in the heart of Rome, when Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande opened a small leather and fur atelier. Their beginnings gave birth to the Selleria line, a symbol of quality that would lay the groundwork for a legacy in Italian luxury. The following year, the couple opened their first boutique on Via del Plebiscito, followed by a second on Via Piave in 1932.
Enter the next generation: Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla, and Alda—the Fendi sisters—who propelled their family business into a promising name in Italian luxury. The turning point came with the appointment of Karl Lagerfeld in the 1960s, who was brought in to oversee fur and women’s ready-to-wear.
His first big move? Creating the now-iconic FF logo—short for ‘Fun Furs’. Playful yet sophisticated, the emblem quickly became a hallmark of the House, appearing on everything from ready-to-wear collections to beloved pieces like the Baguette bag.
Lagerfeld’s fearless vision also led to the introduction of one of fashion’s first unisex collections, with a campaign that famously featured a six-year-old Silvia Venturini Fendi. By the late ‘80s, Fendi’s influence had spread far and wide. Harrods dedicated its entire façade to the brand for the UK launch of its first fragrance, while across the Atlantic, Fendi made its American debut with a boutique on New York’s Fifth Avenue.
As the brand flourished, so did its presence on the runway. Fendi shows have lit up cities like Tokyo, Shanghai, Hong Kong, Moscow, and Buenos Aires. In 2007, it made fashion history by staging a show on the Great Wall of China—an industry first.
At the heart of Fendi’s more recent chapters is Silvia Venturini Fendi. When she joined the house in 1992, the energy shifted. But it was the launch of the Baguette in 1997 that truly marked her arrival. The bag didn’t just catch on—it redefined what an It-bag could be.
Compact, unconventional, and full of character, the Baguette became a cultural phenomenon. Silvia followed it up with the Mamma Baguette that same year, then the Peekaboo in 2008—each one reinforcing her role as the architect of contemporary Fendi accessories.
The last decade has also seen a wave of fresh talent join its creative teams, with Kim Jones serving as the Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear until 2024, and Delfina Delettrez—Silvia’s daughter—leading the jewellery division with a modern, sculptural eye.
Additionally, Fendi has expanded its creative universe through the ‘Friends of Fendi’ initiative, collaborating with influential names such as Kim Kardashian, Marc Jacobs, Donatella Versace, Hiroshi Fujiwara, and Stefano Pilati.
And now, as it marks a full century, Fendi is looking both forward and back. A special runway show at the recent Milan Fashion Week celebrated the occasion with a collection that seamlessly blended traditional Italian tailoring with bold, contemporary reinterpretations.
“Fendi reminds me of the future. I didn’t want to spend too much time dwelling on the physical archives. For me, Fendi is more about my personal memories—real or imagined—of what Fendi was and what Fendi means today,” says Silvia.
A century in, and Fendi isn’t resting on heritage—it’s rewriting what it means to be timeless.
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