A brand’s hundred-year history is a remarkable milestone of tradition and storytelling, a narrative of passion and unparalleled dedication to craftsmanship. This is especially true for Fendi, where the succession of generations has allowed the family to carry forward a heritage of incredible value. Memories find their place among fabrics and details, becoming the starting point of a collection designed to pay homage to the true essence of the Maison through stylistic codes that have defined entire eras. The collection is desirable, accessible, coherent, direct, immediate, and effortless. The common thread is the obsession with perfect quality and unique details, which has always been the foundation of every creation by the brand. There are no literal references to historical moments, nor direct tributes to specific collections; rather, an authentic fusion capable of narrating to the observer a century of history, research, trends, and inspiration. Karl Lagerfeld’s attitude of “never repeating oneself!” was a source of reflection for Silvia Venturini Fendi, who sought to revisit and reinterpret every memory etched in her mind of what the Maison has expressed over time. The recreated atmosphere takes us back in time to Rome in the 1960s and 1970s, to the atelier spaces that once hosted social salons.
“FENDI reminds me of the future. I didn’t want to spend too much time dwelling on the physical archives. For me, FENDI 100 is more about my personal memories – real or imagined – of what FENDI was and what FENDI means today.”
The first look is a long mink fur coat with a high collar and a simple, linear silhouette cinched at the waist—a symbol of elegance and femininity, yet also of modern tradition. A key element in the brand’s legacy, fur returns throughout the runway in coats or removable stoles. The volumes are modern, elongated, soft, or flared, with tailoring bringing a sense of contemporaneity to both the women’s and men’s pieces. Leather inserts and garments add a youthful, edgy tone to the collection, while striped mohair and tone-on-tone embroidery wink at the most classic traditions. Collars disappear on leather jackets and suits but reappear on the most iconic shirts. The necklines of dresses and pullovers are deep, adorned with hand-applied crystal details. Dresses sit low on the waist, their shapes well-structured, with wide sleeves and ample hemlines, perfectly enveloping the body. While the women’s silhouettes are rather sleek, the men’s collection embraces oversized shapes for a softer structure, with leather, wool cloth, applied mink collars, cropped bombers, and transparent shirts reminiscent of women’s lace. The patterns feature stripes and polka dots, appearing in both separate pieces and harmonious ensembles. The color palette is as vast as the brand’s history itself—rich in nuances and meanings, trends and ideas, stories and traditions. Soft knit berets with mesh veils covering the face pay homage to Adele Casagrande Fendi, recalling the composure and delicate elegance that always defined her.
The modern character is redefined in the kaleidoscopic world of accessories. The new FENDI Giano, shaped like a moon, transforms into a bicolor shoulder bag, the FENDI Spy Bag returns deconstructed with an intertwined handle, while the iconic Peekaboo and Baguette remain timeless in all their variations. The FENDI Mamma Baguette and FENDI Peekaboo Soft are reinvented with shearling inlays, sequin appliqué, and suede stripes. For men, the softness of the new FENDI Lui takes center stage, with FENDI Maxi Charm characters in upcycled fabrics applied here and there. Shearling and soft lambskin return in men’s desert boots. Women, meanwhile, wear trompe l’oeil boots or open-toe slippers in satin and eel, which play with a slim wedge or hook heel finished with polished metal.
The atmosphere and carefully selected music for the occasion allowed for an even deeper emotional resonance, intertwining vivid nuances with the collection’s visual narrative. A tribute to a hundred years of history that is not only material but also essential and deeply inspiring. An unbreakable bond between past and future, a family affair traveling through time with timeless style. A quest to reclaim all the elements that have always been part of an unparalleled artistic and creative heritage. A story of glamour and bourgeois charm, set against the immense beauty of Rome. The whispered romanticism that echoes through the city’s corners, the elegance of a style that lasts forever. The most intimate memory of Silvia as a child—the flashback to her first significant moment with the Maison: it was 1966, she was six years old, and Karl Lagerfeld asked her to walk the runway in an equestrian outfit. Yesterday, her grandchildren, Tazio and Dardo (both six years old), wore a reproduction of that original outfit as they opened the oversized replica doors of Fendi’s original atelier at the beginning of the show.
