Despite now being owned by LVMH, Fendi is still a family business. Silvia Venturini Fendi, artistic director of accessories and menswear, is the daughter of Anna Fendi, one of the five Fendi sisters (Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda) who worked at the business their parents Adele and Edoardo Fendi founded in 1925. Fendi is the hottest ticket this Milan Fashion Week and to celebrate Silvia enlisted her two six-year-old grandsons Dardo and Tazio to open the show. The two boys dressed in matching furry outfits pulled open two imposing wooden doors - a recreation of those found on Via Borgognona in Rome - the house's very first boutique.
The head womenswear design role at Fendi is currently vacant, after Kim Jones departed last year. His successor is yet to be named, but that wasn't top of mind at tonight's show.
Fendi began as as a fur and leather boutique in Rome — in honour of that, the show's 85 looks were dominated by those two categories. However, on this occasion, all but a handful of zigzag mink coats were made of shearling.
Naturally, there was a stellar cast including Adriana Lima, Yasmin Le Bon, Eva Herzigová and Karen Elson. The collection felt luxurious and throughly Fendi — inspirations were drawn from the house's vast design archives.
Speaking of which, Silvia Venturini Fendi designed the 'Baguette' bag in 1997. After featuring in Sex And The City, the bag solidified itself as a modern day icon — Sarah Jessica Parker was at the show tonight in honour of that legacy. Other celebrities included Elizabeth Olsen, Bianca Balti, Hailee Steinfeld, IZA and Sean Paul who performed a surprise set straight after the show.
The show was an homage to the Fendi house's long-standing fashion tenure, echoing various eras without specifically referencing any single one. Gowns, lace slip skirts and sharp tailoring, ranging from sugary-sweet pastels to rich muted browns, sauntered down the brick red runway. An ombré mohair knit, two-tone eel-skin dress and a red polka dot shearling coat were just some of the hero looks.
Here's to the next 100 years of Fendi.
