Whenever you think about luxury brands, you usually don’t consider Fendi the first one unless you have been a fan for quite a while. It isn’t because the brand isn’t good but rather due to all the competitors nowadays, especially those from Italy.
Do we need to mention them? Well, we’re sure that Ralph Lauren and Versace sound like big deals for you.
However, we are here to discuss Fendi and why it is one of the best brands you could choose for your clothes, accessories, or other goods. Of course, if you don’t know about its history, it will be hard to understand even if we tell you about the merchandise’s quality, design, and uniqueness.
This is why we will make sure to go over every detail and ensure that by the end of this article, you will recognize a Fendi miles away and know its history from top to bottom.
Making History: Fendi’s Founders & Early Years
Although there isn’t much background or information about its two founders, we definitely have the details of when it started and how it has climbed over the years as one of the strongest Italian luxury brands.
But before getting there, we will make sure to cover what we can of its founders and brain.
Adele and Edoardo Fendi were the ones to found the company. However, more than founding, we would call it a transformation since the origins of the now top luxury brand started with Adele alone.
Adele Casagrande was born in 1897, and she started designing at an early age. Despite not having details about why or when specifically, it is said that she was influenced by her mother.
In 1918, she opened her first leather (and secret) fur workshop in Rome on Via del Plebiscito.
Her store was quite successful although it didn’t boom among people during the first years. However, after she married Edoardo Fendi in 1925, the company’s name was changed to “Fendi,” when one of the biggest brands was born.
There isn’t much information about Edoardo Fendi and how he helped his wife specifically with the company. However, he had a great influence and allowed Adele to bring more success her way.
The couple worked hard and started out selling small and medium-sized leather goods. They also had a side business selling fur goods to continue increasing their clients and awareness.
Fendi quickly became well-known for their handbags and the quality as well as durability of each one.
This popularity increased over the years, and Fendi was able to open several shops within a span of ten years.
Meanwhile, in their personal life, Adele and Edoardo were blessed with five children: Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla, and Alda. They all helped to expand the family business later on.
A Family Business: Making Fendi an Empire
Fendi’s success was evident as the couple kept working towards more collections and new items to offer their customers.
In fact, many of the leather and fur goods were preferred by over 50% of the clientele by the time, and people chose Fendi over luxury brands during its early years.
However, Fendi’s real growth increased exponentially when Paola, the oldest daughter, joined the company in 1946. At the time, she was just 15 years old.
Her sisters all eventually joined the family business. They brought new energy to the company, and their teamwork and great relation allowed them to come up with more ideas, be equally fair, and continue improving the company’s future.
Although they didn’t work full time when starting, the five daughters worked full-time for the family business after Edoardo’s death in 1954.
They also began to expand the business and aim for more alternatives and areas in the fashion industry.
Fendi fur coats became a household name after the introduction of their first line, and people just loved it. However, the 60s saw a shift in opinion about fur since most people started to consider it old-fashioned, bringing the brand to its first challenge and downfall.
Fendi’s fate was saved by Karl Lagerfeld, a young German designer who was hired by the Fendi sisters to modernize their fur collections.
He changed the way people saw fur and truly revolutionized how fur was worn and used in fashion.
Karl made it a fashion accessory unlike other ideas and designs, making it soft and light instead of the usual heavy result in coats or similar pieces.
Karl was determined to create something new and experimented with different patterns, colors, finishes, and materials. As a result of his efforts, Fendi’s fur collection gained popularity quickly and exploded in popularity once more.
Karl Lagerfeld’s 1966 couture fur collection was the catalyst that allowed Fendi to reach large international buyers and to lead the brand to the then-president of Bloomingdales, Martin Traub. He loved Fendi’s fur and leather goods, leading him to introduce them to the American market.
After a long journey and the success of the following collections by Karl and how he “married” the brand along with the five sisters who took specific roles, Paola became the fur specialist; Franca was the purchasing manager; Carla was the head of sales; Alda managed the workshop and atelier, while Anna was the head of design licensing; Fendi, like many Italian fashion houses, began expanding their product range in 1980.
This progress took place not long after Adele, Fendi’s founder, died in 1978.
There were many products available in the new expansion, including sweaters, suits and jeans, perfumes, umbrellas, clocks, ceramics, and household decorations. Fendi was even able to make the uniforms for the Rome police department in 1985.
But what happened during the next years? Did Fendi maintain its reign over fur and other goods? Well, since it continues to be a top brand, you kind of have the spoiler.
However, since this is a family company so far, with the inclusion of the designer, Karl, you can expect it to continue this way.
Silvia Venturini Fendi is the daughter of Anna Fendi and represents the third generation of the Fendi family.
Silvia began her career as a fashion designer in 1994 in the fashion house and helped Karl Lagerfeld as his second hand.
Then, she was responsible for accessories, menswear, and children’s wear from the beginning of the 2000s.
However, Fendi sold shares in their company to Prada Group and LVMH Group in 1999. LVMH bought the majority of the shares, became Fendi’s majority shareholder, and led the brand into a multi-national business.
Silvia Venturini Fendi stayed with the company to preserve the tradition and represent her family and worked with Karl for over 20 years. Unfortunately, Karl Lagerfeld died in 2019.
Although Karl stayed with Fendi loyally, he also assisted Chanel creatively, and after his death, Silvia was appointed Fendi’s creative director in 2019.
Her most notable accomplishments include designing some of Fendi’s most iconic bags since they were and continue to be practical, functional, and lightweight.
Money Inside the Fur: Fendi’s Value & Prices
Behind a luxury brand, there will always be a lot of money involved.
Therefore, this is a guessing game; how much do you think it is worth? Millions or maybe billions? You’ve got 5 seconds before reading the answer.
It was kind of easy: billions.
Fendi’s current worth stands at about 4.4 billion euros, which is close to a bit more than $5 billion.
Unlike many people believe, Fendi stands strong in the fashion industry, unlike other brands like Versace that have definitely seen better days.
Although Karl’s loss left a huge space in the company and design department, Silvia, along with her team, have been able to hold it properly and guarantee that this legacy isn’t lost.
However, what has made Fendi so popular over the years? What is THE thing that people love about it?
Fur is definitely at the top. It has been the signature line for the brand for decades and since its origins, so it is expected for us to mention why people love it so much.
But is it the only reason behind its popularity? Not quite.
Although the comfiness and comfort of fur thanks to Karl and his innovations, the quality of the craftsmanship, leather goods, and delicate designs made the brand grew among people, especially those in the USA.
The art of fur is at the top, but the rest of the collections walked their way in the hearts of everyone else.
Fendi is also known for the memorable fashion shows it displayed and performed, resulting in more people wanting to buy its merchandise and acquire more than a few. Including dresses, handbags, and many more.
In particular, we love the leather goods offered by the brand, and since a decade ago, the few items we own have paid the price without a doubt.
Now, if you’re considering buying some for yourself or maybe as a gift (lucky the one you will give it to), you are definitely interested in the prices. Therefore, look forward to the ranges we will be sharing with you:
- Women’s bags: start at $650 and go up to $38.000. Some are available in store why others need to be pre-ordered.
- Men’s bags: starting at $590 and going up to about $55.000. Those follow the same logic of availability.
- Womenswear: skirts, pants, dresses, tops, shirts, and more usually start at $310 and go to $39.000. Tops and shirts are usually the cheapest items, while coats are the opposite.
- Menswear: shorts, shirts, and several clothing options (including ties) are available from $230 to $29.000. Ties are the cheapest items, while jackets take the crown as the most expensive.
- Shoes: for both men and women, prices usually start at $500 and go up to about $2.000.
- Children collections: you can find items ranging from $250 to $2.000.
- Accessories: including sunglasses, pet accessories, wallets, and more for men and women, ranging from $300 to $3.000 or more.
Fendi & Celebrities: Loving the Brand
Fendi is, without a doubt, one of many women’s favorite luxury brands due to the unique styles of the fur, leather, and comfort offered by the pieces yet, they are still elegant and beautiful.
Karl did a great job bringing more celebrities when he was included in the team, and many of the artists endorsed by the brand were close friends.
Of course, Silvia and the rest of the Fendi family also have influences in this world after many years as a luxury brand. Still, Karl, who used to be the director-designer and creativity behind most of its success, was a stepping stone for more connections due to his personality and soul.
That being said, who are those celebrities who love to wear their clothes and continue to support the brand?
Karlie Kloss, Hailey Baldwin Bieber, Ernest Klimko, and Julia Nobis are part of some of the celebrities endorsed by the brand.
But when it comes to those wearing it, the list is almost unlimited: Celine Dion, Gigi Hadid, Selena Gomez, Kris Jenner, Kate Beckinsale, Miranda Kerr, and many others join the list.
You will notice that most of them choose the lightweight and unique style of fur while others choose the leather goods people love about the brand.
If you ask us, we will wear Fendi anywhere, any day, and at any moment.
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