Find out everything about Casa Fendi, from its beginnings in Rome, the passing of the icon Karl Lagerfeld and where the brand is today
Haute couture brands such as Louis Vuitton, Versace and Fendi always arouse the interest of the general public. Despite their inaccessibility to the general public, such brands always dictate what is “in” in global fashion. Fashion weeks in Paris, Milan and New York are closely watched by millions of people, interested in knowing everything about the new clothes, bags and shoes that will be trends in the future.
One of these brands, Fendi, stands out for its history that is somewhat different from the others. For almost 100 years, Casa Fendi has been revolutionizing itself and inspiring new generations, of course, without losing any of its luxury. Known for its boldness and the characteristic double “F” logo, the brand is known for always trying to innovate, thinking carefully about its loyal customers.
Thinking about this curiosity that we always have regarding the origin of things, we created this article explaining the history of Casa Fendi. Everything about its origins, the discovery of Karl Lagerfeld and how the brand is today. Let’s go?
Origin of the House of Fendi
It all started in 1918, when designer Adele Casagrande opened a leather goods store in Rome, Italy. Adele came from an important family, which produced leather in Florence, also in Italy. A few years later, in 1925, Adele married Edoardo Fendi, and they both decided to rename the leather goods store after their surname. Thus, Casa Fendi began.
Unlike other brands, such as Gucci and Chanel, which started with just one creator, Fendi started with an imposing couple. Additionally, they were known for producing their bags and bags with extremely high-quality leather, which helped increase the brand’s popularity. Furthermore, items with animal skin were also manufactured and were very popular in the 1920s.
With exponential growth following the end of the First World War, the brand opened a second unit in Rome in 1932. After that, the brand continued to grow, proving its importance in fashion to this day. Furthermore, it is important to highlight that the brand was a family business from the beginning, with Adele and Edoardo’s five daughters deeply involved in everything and taking control after Edoardo’s death, in 1954, along with their mother.
Karl Lagerfeld
The famous designer Karl Lagerfeld was hired by Casa Fendi in 1965, revolutionizing the brand at the time. After being appointed creative director, Lagerfeld further pushed the brand into the fur market. Therefore, the brand ended up becoming known for this factor, being one of the most sought after ateliers when it comes to coats and other leather products. So, you can already imagine all the controversies involving the brand and the designer, right?
However, despite all the controversies, Casa Fendi reached its peak as one of the biggest fashion houses during Lagerfeld’s management. Furthermore, he was also responsible for creating the brand’s logo. The double “F”, according to the brand book produced by the LVMH holding, means “Fun Furs”, that is, in a literal translation, “Fun Furs”. Therefore, the use of fur and leather is still something that is extremely debated and present in the brand’s history.
LVMH and the evolution of the House of Fendi
Casa Fendi found itself without its original founder in 1978, when she passed away. From then on, everything changed, with each of his five daughters taking over the management of an area of the House. Lagerfeld continued to lead the brand’s creative direction, always innovating in his collections, without losing the Italian essence of the fashion house.
In the 1980s, the brand continued its dizzying growth. Furthermore, Casa Fendi left Europe, straight to the most famous avenue in the world: Fifth Avenue in New York. The brand’s first international store found itself in a fashion-friendly location, cementing its place as one of the biggest fashion houses in the world.
In the late 1990s, the holding company LVMH Moët-Hennessy and Prada acquired Fendi. Headed by one of the richest men in the world, Frenchman Bernard Arnault, LVMH is a fashion and luxury goods conglomerate. Furthermore, the holding serves several fields, having in its catalog watch and jewelry brands, such as BVLGARI and Tiffany & Co., drinks, such as Moët, Hennessy and Chandon, in addition, of course, to the luxury brands Louis Vuitton, Givenchy, Fendi and several others. Despite being sold, Fendi continues to be controlled by his family, which is now the 3rd generation of women.
Future from Casa Fendi
One of the biggest issues present around the world today is the sustainable cause. Therefore, like several other brands, Fendi also points out that one of its biggest goals is to be more sustainable, using more and more recyclable materials. However, LVMH’s advisors announced that Fendi does not intend to stop using fur or leather in its creations. Let’s see what the future holds for the brand, shall we?
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