Fendi (clothing brand)

Fendi logo

Fendi is an Italian fashion house specializing in the production of clothing, leather and fur products, accessories and perfumes. The company is part of the LVMH holding. The company was founded in 1918 by Adele Casagrande as a leather and fur shop in Rome on Via del Plebizio. In 1925 Adele married Eduardo Fendi and they decided to change their name to Fendi. They opened their next store in 1932 on Via Piave. After the end of the war, all five daughters of the Fendi couple joined the active revival of the company's activities: Paola became an expert in dressing fur, Anna a designer, Franca a public relations specialist, Carla was engaged in all current affairs of the company, and Alda became the commercial director of the brand. The most important business decision of the sisters was the invitation of the young German designer Karl Lagerfeld, who was destined to turn the house of Fendi, now owned by the LVMH concern, into a leading manufacturer of the lightest and most sophisticated furs on the market.

It was Karl Lagerfeld who came up with the famous Fendi logo for the House. The very first collection of Fendi fur coats, which Karl Lagerfeld introduced in 1966, was a resounding success. Since then, Fendi fur coats have become a symbol of luxury and a beautiful life and have received a pass not only to noble receptions, but also to the best film sets in the country: Fendi created fur coats for Silvana Mangano in the film "Family Portrait in the Interior" by Luchino Visconti and Isabelle Huppert's outfits in "The True Story of the Lady of the Camellias".

In 1977 the House of Fendi presented the first pret-a-porter collection, in 1984 the Fendi collections were replenished with ties, gloves, jeans, glasses, pens and lighters. In 1988, the first women's perfume Fendi appeared, in 1989 - the men's Fendi Uomo, in 1990 Fendi released the first collection of clothes for men, and in 1997, the granddaughter of the founders of the brand, Silvia Venturini Fendi, created another cult product under the Fendi logo - the Baguette handbag, which recommended to be worn as a French baguette. Later, ironic mini-versions of the baguette will appear - miniature "croissants". Fendi is majority owned by the LVMH (Louis Vuitton Moët Hennessy S.A.) alliance. The decision to sell the company was made in 1999. The collaboration opened Fendi flagship stores in Paris and London. In 2001, the LVMH Group bought Prada shares, the following year acquired Fendi shares, and in 2004 became the sole controlling shareholder.

In 2005, Fendi Fashion House celebrated its eightieth anniversary. In connection with the event, the Palazzo Fendi (Palace of Fendi) in Rome was opened. The new building combines studios, fur tailors and the world's largest Fendi store. October 19, 2007 the world saw a grand show from Fendi - the first fashion show on the Great Wall of China. 88 models participated in the show. The catwalk was one of the longest in the history of fashion shows - 88 meters (8 is considered a lucky number in China). On February 29, 2008 in Paris, on the occasion of the opening of 22 Fendi stores at 22 Avenue Montaigne, a private concert of five-time Grammy Award winner Amy Winehouse took place for an audience of 400 guests. Fendi currently has over 160 stores in 25 countries.

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