The Italian luxury label has always been about family as much as it is about fashion.
Fendi is now 100 years old!
The luxury fashion label founded in Rome celebrated its centenary on Wednesday, Feb. 26, in the grandest way at its revamped Via Andrea Solari headquarters in Milan. More than a fashion extravaganza, the occasion was a family affair first and foremost. Founded in 1925 by Adele and Edoardo Fendi, the house, after all, has always been about family as much as it is about fashion.
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Five generations of Fendi
The event opened with an adorable cameo of seven-year-olds Dardo and Tazio, great-great-grandsons of house founders Edoardo and Adele. The twins’ mom is Delfina, a jewelry designer, who designed the snake chain bracelets and fountain earrings used in the show.
The tots—already the fifth generation of Fendis—pushed open two massive wooden doors—exact replicas of those from the label’s very first boutique on Via Borgognona in Rome. Notably, Dardo and Tazio wore replicas of an equestrian ensemble originally designed by Karl Lagerfeld, who called Fendi his home for 54 years.
Their grandmother, the Silvia Venturini Fendi, took on hosting duties. Silvia is also Fendi’s artistic director of accessories and menswear, and is perhaps best known for designing the label’s iconic Baguette handbag.
“So I’m not here because I own it—I don’t,” said Silvia backstage before the show, as quoted in an article on The Guardian. “But nothing changed for me when we sold. This is still my home.” Fendi is now part of the LVMH stable of luxury brands.
Indeed, the entire show—from the spectacular backdrop down to the tiniest accessory showcased—is a reference to the house’s unmistakable Fendi-ness—a quality for which that the brand is known all these decades, one that is marked with elegance and excellence in craftsmanship.
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A reunion of friends
What’s a birthday celebration without a coming together of good old friends, right? Rightfully so, some of the biggest names associated with Fendi showed up to celebrate the landmark occasion.
Supermodels Adriana Lima and Eva Herzigova weren’t just guests, they also walked the runway, each donning a piece from Fendi’s Fall/Winter 2025-2026 womenswear collection. Lima, always the Brazilian stunner that she is, embodied Fendi’s signature elegance in a muted green ribbed dress. The Czech model Herzigova, meanwhile, was a vision in an accordion-pleat midi dress with a bow tied at the neckline.
Then there’s Sarah Jessica Parker—who made the Baguette handbag a household name through Sex and the City. There’s also Matt Bomer, Hailee Steinfeld, Ashley Park, Philippine Leroy-Beaulieu, Elizabeth Olsen, Luca Guadagnino, Irina Shayk, Song Hye-kyo, and Heart Evangelista.
Sean Paul and Chinese pop star Yuqi, a Fendi ambassador, delighted the 1,000 or so guests with surprise performances after the show.
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100 years of exquisite craftsmanship
No Fendi event is complete without a runway show. The centenary celebration doubled as the launch of the brand’s women’s and men’s F/W 2025-26 collections, which drew inspiration from what it does best: fur and leather.
Unsurprisingly, then, the first look out was a fur coat. In fact, the show was a parade of opulent fur coats made of shearling designed to resemble fox, mink, and sable. But there were also pencil skirts, classic silhouettes, flapper slips, art deco chevron, and even a striking trench coat. Muted tones dominated the collection, with Fendi’s go-to palette of earthy browns, khakis, and clays. But there were splashes of vibrant colors, too—coats in pastel pink and even a dramatic dress with red polka dots.
The menswear collection was all about supple leather and featured tuxedo lapels and floor-length fur stoles. A few of the looks had pops of colors as well, splashes of canary yellow and orange here and there. There were also unexpected textures courtesy of lace, beading and embroidery. Some of the models even sashayed down the runway with a stuffed toy in hand. All these bits of whimsy lend some oomph to an otherwise more subdued line.
Of course, Fendi’s trademark bags— Peekaboo, Baguette, and the comebacking Spy Bag—were scene stealers, with some adorned with an equally eye-catching large stuffed doll.
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As mesmerizing as the F/W collection was the gorgeous set. Per the Fendi website, the backdrop is a “revisiting” of the historic salons of the Fendi boutique and atelier on Via Borgognona in Rome where the five second-generation Fendi sisters – Alda, Anna, Carla, Franca and Paola – used to play and work.
Just like Gucci, Fendi mounted the show sans a creative director after Kim Jones left the brand late last year. Fans, however, have no reason to worry. Each of the 85 pieces featured on the runway proved that the label is as strong as ever, with its sights set firmly into the future while keeping true to the hallmarks of its storied heritage.
We’re quite certain Fendi will still be around for the next 100 years and beyond.
Watch the full show here.
