Founded in 1926 by Adele and Edoardo Fendi, the House of Fendi is one of the most popular high-end Italian brands in the world. Known for the fine leather goods, classic ready-to-wear collection, along with trendsetting eyewear pieces, Fendi Roma is as important today as it’s ever been. Keep reading and head over to the Fendi Collection at Designer Eyes for more on the legendary brand.
Fendi Roma: The History
Starting in 1946, Adele and Edoardo’s five daughters began to head the company jointly. Under this new management, in 1965, the company hired Karl Lagerfeld to run the women’s line of clothing and fur division. During this time, the company expanded operations into the United States and Japan, debuting its first high-end fashion collection in 1966 and its first fur line a few years after that. As the brand began to gain significant international acclaim, Fendi released its first ready-to-wear line of clothing in 1977. By the late 80s, the brand had expanded into all sorts of luxury accessories such as perfumes, eyewear, and decor.
With the release of the brand’s eyewear collection, Fendi takes its designer appeal to the next level, adding iconic frames to stores all over the world. As the frames’ designs progressed, so did brand recognition, leading to celebrities and Hollywood’s most famous wearing them at premieres and red carpets.
During the company’s illustrious run, its been able to manage and maintain a seemingly endless array of celebrity relationships, that have turned into high-profile endorsements. Whether you’re a fan of music or Hollywood, it’s highly likely that one of today’s biggest stars has or is currently promoting the Fendi brand. From the top, internationally recognized supermodels such as Karlie Kloss and Jourdan Dunn, to the most famous female entertainers like Nicki Minaj, Olivia Munn, Kim Kardashian and more, just to name a few.
The Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana
In 2015, Fendi celebrated its 90th anniversary with a series of celebrations that included the brand’s first haute couture fashion focused on furs. During this time, around 15 years after the purchase of the company by LVMH, Fendi announced it would make the famed Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana its headquarters for at least the next 15 years. Known as an important piece of Italian political history, this new headquarters would serve as a place for future runway shows and a fresh backdrop for innovative ad campaigns.
In 2019, the critically-acclaimed legend of European design, Karl Lagerfeld passed away and it was time for Fendi to find a suitable replacement to carry the brand forward into the next generation. With his passing, the brand looked to replace its heralded director with someone who could carry his, and the Fendi Roma tradition of excellence into the next generation.
