One hundred years is a simple little bath when measured against the millennia that passed before Rome won his nickname, “the eternal city.” However, in the fashion world, with its constant disorders, it is another issue. Such is the paradox of Fendi, a centenary still young compared to the city that shapes it, but a venerable force in an industry where it remains at the forefront.
This type of longevity is even more exceptional since, apart from Valentino and Bulgari, Rome is the home of few renowned international fashion houses in a country where Milan leads luxury more than ever. What makes Fendi even more unique is that, since its foundation in 1925 by Adele and Edoardo Fendi, the brand has been mainly directed by women, in contrast to much of the world of Italian fashion, where, apart from Prada, men remain the shots. In Fendi, matriarchy reigns.
“When I listen to the name Fendi, I see a thousand faces, mostly women,” said Isabella Rossellini. The Italian-American Achart is a regular in the dinners of the brand that are held throughout the world, especially in Rome, the city closest to its heart. “In those long tables, you find days and boxes of active women in all fields: fashion, hospitality, agriculture, heritage restoration, artistic sponsorship,” said the Blue velvet (1986) Actress. “All fendi women share the same spirit of generosity and a Zeen seat for life. When I get home from one of their dinners, I feel full of energy and optimism.”
This remarkable dynasty led by women was embodied by the five daughters of Adele and Edoardo-Five, like the fingers in one hand, as the family legend says. From the 1940s, Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda Tok Toke, leading the company, until 1992, when Silvia Venturini Fendi, one of Anna’s three daughters, entered Take The Reins with Karl Lagerfeld.
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