100 Years of Fendi: A Look Back with the Fendi Sisters and Brand History

Italian luxury fashion house Fendi, synonymous with responsibly sourced fur and both small and large leather goods, is celebrating its centennial in 2025. For Fendi, it’s always been a family affair.

Adele Fendi, the family matriarch, opened her first store in 1918, establishing the house of Fendi with her husband, Edoardo Fendi,  in Rome in 1925. They would leave the legacy brand to their five daughters – Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda – who turned the Italian fur and leather goods label into the powerhouse luxury brand it is today.

WWD has observed and documented the evolution of the Fendi brand from the beginning of its global expansion.

In 1952, Fendi introduced the plastic clutch, one of the first in the evening bag category, adding the soft leather suitcase in the same decade. In the mid-1960s, Karl Lagerfeld joined the Fendi family, remaining a collaborator for 54 years. Lagerfeld’s contemporary edge drove the brand’s expansion at retail. Sisters Alda and Carla were the first to open shops on Milan’s famous Via Borgonovo, a popular shopping destination in 1966. Ten years later, they would arrive in America, opening the first Fendi shop outside of Rome at legendary New York department store Bergdorf Goodman. During the 1970s, collaborations with Henri Bendel and retail expansion, including adding eight new stores to its portfolio, brought further visibility to  the brand and themselves.

In 1987, the third generation entered the family-run business. Silvia Venturini Fendi, daughter of Anna Fendi, joined the family namesake. In 1992, she took on the role of artistic director, overseeing accessories and menswear. She introduced one of its secondary lines, Fendissime, in 1994. It was Silvia who introduced the iconic Fendi baguette bag in 1997. The coveted “it” bag earned the brand the 2000 Accessories Award from Fashion Group International. She remains the only family member working with brand.

In 2000, Fendi was bought by LVMH. Designer Kim Jones lead the brand’s womenswear collections from 2020 to 2024 with fourth-generation family member Delfina Delettrez Fendi, now artistic director of jewelry. Today, Fendi remains a powerhouse luxury brand.