The story of Fendi

Fendi, which is part of LVMH, is a renowned Italian fashion label in the areas of clothing, furs, leather goods, accessories and perfumes.

Start

A husband and wife team, Adele and Eduardo Fendi, founded the company and created handmade leather and fur garments. 1925 was the starting point for the expansion of the business. The opening of the boutique for handbags and leather goods brought the young couple’s products to popularity outside Rome. The small shop was soon replaced by an impressive enterprise.

Five daughters joined the Fendi family, taking over from their parents and sharing key responsibilities.

Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld

With Karl Lagerfeld’s arrival, heavy, bulky fur coats turned into comfortable, lightweight outerwear in the sixties. The young designer took the company to the forefront of fur production and came up with the famous ‘FF’ logo.

The 70s brought the owners fame not only in European countries, but also in Japan and the United States.

A successful pret-a-porter collection was created in 1977.

Since 1984 the Fendi catalogue has been expanded with jeans, gloves, ties, glasses, lighters and pens.

The sixtieth anniversary of the brand and twenty years of cooperation with Karl Lagerfeld were celebrated in 1978 at the National Gallery of Modern Art in Rome. A visual illustration of the creative and technological process of creating collections was reflected in the exhibition “Fendi – Karl Lagerfeld, a working history.

1988 saw the launch of a fragrance line. The first fragrances were Fendi and Fendi Uomo.

A few years later, Selleria, a line of travel bags, clutches and miniature leather accessories created by Adele Fendi, was revived.

In 1997 creative director Silvia Venturini Fendi designed a small handbag to be worn under the arm. The iconic Baguette was produced in 600 variations.

2005-2006 presented the world another two legendary bags, the Spy and B FENDI.

Demand for Fendi clothing increased significantly thanks to the success of cinematic costume commissions. In particular for “La Traviata”, “Once Upon a Time in America”, “The Godfather” and other films.

In 1990 Fendi presented his first collection of elegant menswear in an understated style.

Stiff handbags were replaced by soft, vibrant, unstructured ones.

A new story

At the end of the twentieth century it was decided to sell the company to LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy S.A.). This led to the opening of Fendi flagship boutiques in London and Paris.

Since 2004, LVMH Group has been the sole controlling shareholder.

Fendi celebrated its eightieth anniversary in 2005 with the opening of the Palazzo Fendi, which houses Fendi’s studios, atelier and flagship shop.

In 2007, for the first time ever, a spectacular fashion show was held at the Great Wall of China. Fendi products were presented in 88 models.

The presentation of the 22nd Fendi shop in Paris attracted over four hundred guests. The highlight was a concert by five-time Grammy Award winner Emmy Winehouse.

Today, Fendi boutiques are open in 25 countries.