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Fendi is an Italian fashion house
best known for its "baguette" handbags. It started
in 1918 as a fur and leather shop in Rome, but today
is a multinational luxury goods brand owned by LVMH.
Karl Lagerfeld is the creative director.
History
 Fendi
began in 1918 when Adele Casagrande opened a leather
and fur shop in Via del Plebiscito in central Rome.
When Adele married Edoardo Fendi in 1925, they made
a decision to change the name to Fendi. The business
prospered, and a new shop was opened in Via Piave in
1932. By 1946 Paola, 15, the eldest of the couple's
five daughters, went to work for the firm, followed
by her sisters Carla, Anna, Franca, and Alda. In
time each of the daughters would inherit 20% of the
company.
In 1962 the Fendis signed up German designer Karl
Lagerfeld. Lagerfeld immediately created the
inverted FF logo that joined the growing list of
international status symbols, and then set about,
aided and abetted by the sisters, to revolutionize
the treatment of fur and other clothing.
Marvin Traub, president of Bloomingdale's,
discovered Fendi's leather goods and introduced them
to the United States. Other outlets soon followed,
and today Fendi is largely represented through
high-end department stores.
In 1969 Fendi presented its first ready-to-wear fur
collection at Palazzo Pitti in Florence, bringing
continuously evolving techniques and imaginative
designs to lower-priced furs without sacrificing
quality. When the sisters could not find the fabric
clothes they wanted to show under the furs their
ready-to-wear line was born, again to great success.
In 1999 the sisters sold out to LVMH and Prada for
an estimated US$850m, trumping a bid from Gucci of a
rumoured US$700m. LVMH have since bought out Prada
and are investing heavily in the brand, expanding
the network of boutiques to 117 as of 2005.
The Double F Symbol
 Commonly
referred to as the "Zucca" print in its original
form and "Zucchino" in its smaller style, Fendi's
iconic "double F" logo pattern was first designed by
Karl Lagerfeld in the 1960s. It has been used on a
variety of Fendi products, including handbags,
wallets, luggage, shoes, and apparel. Kanye West
once appeared at a party with the logo shaved into
his head.
Counterfeiting
In June of 2006, Wal-Mart was accused of selling
fakes in its membership-only Sam's Club stores. The
suit filed by Fendi in June of 2006 against Wal-Mart
was settled in June 2007 when Walmart agreed to pay
Fendi an undisclosed sum in exchange for Fendi's
dismissal of the case.
In popular culture
Elizabeth Hurley wore a red Fendi coat in the 2000
film Bedazzled, costaring Brendan Fraser.
Fendi is mentioned in the song My Humps by the Black
Eyed Peas
Fendi lines
The company's accessories are now found on the arm
of many stars and signature bags such as the Spy,
buckled B-bag, and embellished bucket bag are often
in high demand sometimes creating long waiting
lists.
Fendissime
This "young" line (akin to Prada's Miu Miu line) was
formed by Karl Lagerfeld in 1962 in cooperation with
input from the five daughters.
Fendi Casa
Fendi's newest brand offering a wide variety of home
furnishings. Furniture, sofas, armchairs, poufs,
chaise-longues, consoles, day-beds: items of
everyday life seen, interpreted, and lived with the
typical Fendi style and culture. Above all this
there is one common denominator: the home seen once
more as the heart of a lifestyle, small pieces of
furniture acting as a support for the most immediate
and practical needs and more significant pieces to
be personalised according to the taste. Great
attention is paid to the past while tending towards
the future, with considerable concern for evolution
in modern design, which is interpreted, enjoyed and
shared in the spirit of today’s culture. And so we
find objects for the home distinguished first of all
– as is the entire creation of Fendi - for their
fine quality: great care and attention in the choice
of fabrics and their combinations, and in the 'mix'
of materials which creates new forms. All this
together with the craftsmanship and attention to
detail, the careful working and hand finishing, the
personality which is an integral part of Fendi
style. And last but not least, that creativity and
imaginativeness which come from research and
experiment, a mood which extends from fashion to
design through the creation of personalized and
personalising objects.
Furs
Fendi's internationally renowned line of fur helps
to differentiate the brand from its competitors as
one of the few designers with a full range of fur
offerings. Naomi Campbell was fired from her
position as a People for the Ethical Treatment of
Animals spokesperson in 1997 for wearing fur at a
Fendi fashion show.
Prêt-à-Porter
This includes all of Fendi's clothing sold
off-the-rack at department stores such as Saks Fifth
Avenue and Neiman Marcus.
Fragrances
Fendi launched its first perfume, Fendi for Women,
in 1985. The line has been expanded to Theorema Uomo
and Fendi Uomo (for men) and Celebration and
Fantasia (for women).
Eyewear
Fendi's eyewear line currently includes prescription
eyeglasses and sunglasses in addition to
non-prescription sunglasses.
Timepieces
Fendi currently licenses out their name for their
watches, which feature Swiss movements.
Writing Instruments
Fendi licensed their name and logo to Cross Pens in
1989 but by 2000 this deal appeared to have lapsed.
North American Fendi Boutiques
* Aspen- 208 S. Mill Street
* Bal Harbour- Bal Harbour Shops
* Beverly Hills- 355 N. Rodeo Drive
* Costa Mesa- South Coast Plaza
* Honolulu- Ala Moana Center
* Honolulu- Royal Hawaiian Shopping Center
* Houston- The Galleria
* Las Vegas- Bellagio
* Las Vegas- The Forum Shops at Caesars
* Manhasset- Americana Manhasset
* Nassau, Bahamas- Bay Street
* New York- 677 Fifth Avenue
* Short Hills- The Mall at Short Hills
* Wailea- The Shops at Wailea
* Toronto- Bloor st.
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