Overview
Fendi originated in 1925 as a specialist fur and leather workshop in Rome, founded by Adele and Edoardo Fendi. Lagerfeld’s tenure transformed the house’s approach to materials, introducing the double F logo and establishing a ready-to-wear line that challenged the traditional perceptions of luxury fur. Following its acquisition by the LVMH Group in 2002, the brand has expanded its global reach while maintaining its reputation for artisanal excellence.
With Silvia Venturini Fendi overseeing accessories and menswear-including the 1997 creation of the Baguette bag-the house continues to balance its historical expertise with a modern, experimental outlook on materiality and form. The label works across menswear, ready-to-wear, and accessories. Creative direction is currently led by Maria Grazia Chiuri. The business achieved international significance through the leadership of their five daughters and the 1965 appointment of Karl Lagerfeld as creative director. The house’s identity is deeply intertwined with its Roman heritage, currently operating from the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana.
Philosophy
The marriage of extreme technical skill and creative irony defines the house’s treatment of material. Fur and leather are often manipulated to mimic the qualities of light textiles, using intricate hand-stitching and unconventional dyeing techniques to subvert the expectations of weight and texture. This emphasis on craftsmanship is seen in the Selleria line and the continuous innovation in couture fur, where the hand of the Roman artisan remains central to the design process.
A recurring sense of playfulness and subversion permeates the collections, often expressed through unexpected motifs and a bold use of colour. The silhouette is typically sophisticated yet injected with a sense of "fun," reflecting a belief that luxury can be both rigorous and irreverent. By integrating sustainable materials like eco-fur and recycled fabrics into the LVMH framework, the house ensures its heritage of material intelligence evolves to meet contemporary ethical standards while preserving its status as a laboratory for avant-garde craft.
Disclaimer
Creative timeline
Marks Maria Grazia Chiuri's first Fendi collection, shown at Milan Fashion Week on 25 February 2026.
Fendi appointed Maria Grazia Chiuri as chief creative officer. Joined from Dior. Replaced Silvia Venturini.
Maria Grazia Chiuri brings Fendi a more explicit dialogue between Roman memory, couture discipline and contemporary womanhood.
Returns Fendi to Roman ease, feminine pragmatism and a dialogue between couture memory and everyday dress.
Kim Jones departed Fendi womenswear and couture on October 11, 2024, creating another high-level vacancy in the year's luxury reshuffle.
Kim Jones presented Fendi's Spring 2025 womenswear collection on September 17, 2024; after his October departure, it stood as his final collection for the house.
Silvia Venturini Fendi again steadied the women’s collections during a transitional centenary chapter at the house.
Kim Jones used his first couture outing to reposition Fendi more assertively within the Paris couture order.
Silvia Venturini Fendi's Spring/Summer 2021 show served as her last solo womenswear collection before Kim Jones joined the house.
Kim Jones reframed Fendi through couture-inflected womenswear, literary references and a more polished cross-generational glamour.
In transition, Silvia Venturini Fendi held the women’s collections close to the house’s Roman legacy and technical polish.
Silvia Venturini Fendi has kept menswear and accessories tied to Roman wit, craft intelligence and the house’s tactile imagination.
Karl Lagerfeld transformed Fendi into a laboratory of fur, ready-to-wear and graphic house codes without losing its Roman roots.
Edoardo Fendi helped build the commercial and artisanal framework that anchored the house’s early identity.
Adele Fendi established the Roman house through fur craft, leather savoir-faire and a familial approach to luxury.
