The House of Fendi was established in Rome, Italy. Created by Edoardo and Adele Fendi, the company was the first handbag and fur workshop in Via del Plebiscito, Rome, but became famous for its impeccable designs and high-quality products. Fendi grew into a high-end leather and fur goods destination on the Italian peninsula, and demand skyrocketed.
Two decades after Fendi first opened, Adele and Edoardo passed on their luxury Roman empire to their five daughters—Paola, Franca, Carla, Anna and Alda. The daughters jumped at the opportunity to modernize the Fendi brand and make it cool…so they welcomed Karl Lagerfeld with open arms. As of 1965, Karl was already a fashion trailblazer as he had designed for the likes of Balmain and Chloé. At their first meeting, Karl grabbed a piece of paper and drew the brand’s now iconic double F logo. Once the double F—or Zucca logo—was applied to the goods, the company instantly became a lighthearted and dynamic luxury brand.
“I drew the Double F in three seconds, and it became the acronym of the Fendi house.” - Karl Lagerfeld
In 1994, Silvia Venturini Fendi, Anna’s daughter, joined Fendi as the brand’s Creative Director for accessories and menswear. Silvia is credited with launching the Fendi Baguette, which is the original It bag. The timeless shape, impeccable detailing and dozens of unique designs made it not only a stylish way to tote necessities, but also let your individuality shine. In fact, as I mentioned in a previous post, Fendi has even relaunched the Baguette so that means now more than 1,000 versions of the Baguette have been produced since 1997.
REVIVAL OF THE ZUCCA LOGO
The Zucca logo quickly garnered a spot in pop culture history as Carrie Bradshaw made it synonymous with fashion, fun and female empowerment on Sex & The City in the ‘90’s and early 2000’s.
But hey, now it’s 2019 and we’re seeing the Zucca print everywhere we turn! What’s that all about? With the sudden revival of logos, the rebirth of nostalgic fashion items, and a throwback to ‘90’s style, it’s no wonder Fendi’s double FF logo is fashionable once again (I mean, as if it ever went out of style).
Celebrities like Bella Hadid, Kaia Gerber, and Kim Kardashian are practically tattooed in Fendi’s logo prints, which were relaunched as part of a capsule collection to attract younger, cooler, social media-savvy customers. And it looks like it worked…behold the bag on my wish list.
THE 2JOURS
The 2jours bag, toujours and means ‘always’ in French, was introduced in the Fall of 2012. This structured, timeless satchel featured many compartments, tasteful hardware and contrasting side panels. It became an instant favorite amongst working women who need to tote their goods and celebs running around town. I owned a black one myself and it was a pretty magical, practical piece.
THE PEEKABOO
Fendi debuted the Peekaboo in the Spring/Summer of 2009. The timeless carryall features double-sided turn-lock closure, contrast lining and a long, detachable strap. This ultra-versatile design that can be carried by hand or over your shoulder is one of Fendi’s most iconic and best-selling bags to date!
THE B BAG
In 2006, Fendi introduced yet another gotta-have-it bag! The B Bag was inspired by the B Buckle belt, and featured oversized buckles on the front, flap closure, chain-detailed shoulder straps and a structured shape.
THE SPY BAG
On the heels of the successful Baguette, the Spy bag became another cult classic in 2005. Everyone from Beyoncé to Nicole Richie and Sofia Vergara had this slouchy boho design that featured a hidden coin purse, braided handles, and a fold-over flap closure. Not to mention, another monstrous wait list just to get your hands on it.
THE BAGUETTE
No need to explain this once again, but just check out this inspiring quote from Silvia Fendi expressing her thoughts on the must-have design:
It was like a crazy moment with people begging to be put first on the waiting list. Before that moment, no one really had waiting lists, so it started this crazy mania, and also for limited editions. The Baguette was really the first bag to be treated as a garment, a fashion piece.
SELLERIA
This collection consisted of a series of made-to-order handmade handbags which were exquisitely crafted out of Cuoio Romano, a soft and grainy calfskin, and designed to mimic the techniques of master saddlers. The Selleria was relaunched in 1994 by Adele Fendi and since then, limited edition bags are released every season in many fabrics and colors. In 2003, Fendi launched a made-to-order service for this line, which lets customers create their own bag and customize it by picking the leather, color and hardware.
Content and images for this blog post have been sourced and referenced from LePrix.