Fendi is an Italian luxury fashion house producing fur, ready-to-wear, leather goods, shoes, fragrances, eye wear, timepieces and accessories. It was established in 1925, with fur products and leather bags and wallets. Today it is still known for its furs however its leather goods have expanded to include “Baguette”, 2jours, Peekaboo and Pequin handbags and more.
Company Info
Designer Brand: Fendi
Established: 1925
Location: Palazzo Fendi, Largo Carlo Goldoni, 420, 00187 Roma RM, Italy
Contact: +1 646-952-8399
Company Slogan: Our Heritage And Beauty Are A Reflection Of Rome.
Company Ownership:
In 1925, Fendi began with Edoardo Fendi making leather bags and his bride Adele Casagrande making the fur coats. In fact they were the first handbag and fur workshop in Via del Plebiscito, Rome. They were known for excellent craftsmanship, high fashion style with functional taste, keeping an eye out for detail and remembering the importance of good relationships with customers and suppliers. These characteristics drew like a magnet and their following grew locally and internationally.
The business is definitely a family endeavor. In 1946 their five daughters took over the reigns until 19 years later when Karl Lagerfeld was appointed creative director which he still is today.
Silvia Venturini Fendi definitely acquired skills of designing and customer relations from her parents. She designed the first small shoulder Baguette (bag) in 1997. Very self improvement oriented she kept working toward the best. Carrie Bradshaw took notice and the rest is history. The Fendi brand products became an international “must have”.
In 2001, Fendi became a multinational luxury fashion brand and part of the LVMH Group, a French multinational luxury goods conglomerate headquartered in Paris. The parent company of the LVMH Group, Christian Dior, owes 51 percent of Fendi. Other well-known subsidiaries of the LVMH Group include Louis Vuitton, Sephora and Prada.
Today Fendi is known worldwide and respected as a high-end luxury fashion brand crafting real leather bags, briefcases, wallets, watch bands, cases and travel accessories. Their craftsmanship today is a confirmed industry standard. They take pride in their innovation and excellence in quality.
Product Lines: Real Leather Bags, Jackets, Shoes, Slides, Mules, Belts, Wallets, Small Leather Accessories, Booties and Boots.
Notable Facts: Fendi started with a strong focus on quality, detail and design and never forgot their dependence on their suppliers and customers. Their striving for excellence is noted by all. This has led to a company that is still strong with thousands of customers who buy their products for life. Like it is said, “Once a Fendi Customer; Always A Fendi Customer.” Today their logo is prominently displayed for all to know who is designing and making these exquisite leather goods.
Fendi is always at the cutting edge of new design for new needs. They were the first company to make the it-bag in 1997 which still remains an icon today.
Like other high-end luxury fashion brands, there are those who copy and sell fake products, especially handbags. You can identify your handbag as authentic by looking for the Fendi serial number and the hologram sticker. Their Hologram stickers are difficult to reproduce because they give the visual effect of containing a 3D image. In fact they can only be replicated using the original “the master hologram”.
Material Used
Real Genuine Leather
Where It Comes From: The leather used by Fendi is vegetable tanned from Italy. They firmly believe in using only the best and protecting the environment from harsh chemicals used by chrome tanning. Their craftsmen are known for skill and quality. In fact their craftsmen train others so the art and skill of Italian craftsmanship continues for many more decades.
Making bags by hand is still if vogue for Fendi customers who chose to customize their bags. Customization is an option for the Selleria bag collection , the Baguette and the Peekaboo bags. In 2014 Fendi vending machines were introduced to “dispense ” non customized expensive purses.
Real genuine leather is used. The types of leather and skins used include calfskin, lambskin, goatskin, Suede, alligator, crocodile, snake and python skin.
Calf Skin
Fendi uses full grain calf skin because it has such a exquisite close grain look. In addition it is so soft and durable.
The calfskin leather made in Italy is superior because it is tanned using natural vegetable and plant based extracts. The tanning process takes much longer and requires more effort but the final leather product is definitely a show piece.
Fendi uses calfskin for bags of all shapes, sizes and purposes; shoes, and belts.
Lamb Skin
Fendi uses lambskin for jackets because it is the softest, silkiest, and most luxurious leather. In addition, its soft texture easily forms to the body for a better style and fit.
Lambskin Made in Italy is tanned using natural vegetable and plant based extracts. The long process makes for a luxurious high end fashion leather look.
Suede
The suede Fendi uses is from goatskin, calfskin and lambskin depending upon the fashion collection. Suede is leather, but it is from the underside of the skin which is sanded to give a velvety soft suede feel.
Fendi uses suede for booties, shoes, bags, dress pants, and lining for leather jackets and some purses and such things. Suede’s usage is attractive because of its softness, thinness, and pliability.
Nubuck Leather
Nubuck is top grain leather that has been sanded on the top grain side to give it a velvet touch and look.
Nubuck has a similar velvety look like suede except that Nubuck is from the outer full grain side and suede is from the under skin side. Obviously Nubuck is a much more expensive leather.
Fendi uses Nubuck especially for booties, the fancy boot that is worn indoors.
Patent Calf Leather
Patent leather is full grain calf skin with a very thin coating on top. The coating is kept think to preserve the leather look under it. It has a shiny gloss look.
Fendi uses patent finished leather for purses and shoes.
Crocodile Leather
Crocodile skin is considered an exotic leather because the volume sold is so much less than cow, calf, sheep, lamb, goat, horse or buffalo.
The tanning process is laborious. It starts with soaking the skin to remove salt and preservatives and allows the skin to dissolve soluble proteins. As the water content is decreased during the process, it is reabsorbed in another process. When this is finished a shaving machine stretches the skin and cleans the flesh side (the under side) and makes it uniform. After shaving, it is placed in a drum of sodium bicarbonate to neutralize it. Then the leather is loosened or soften with fat liquors and the excess moisture is removed. The last three steps include color dying it, shaving it to give it a domed or raised scale pattern, and using natural protein coatings together with synthetic seasonings to give it a high gloss finish.
Fendi uses genuine crocodile skin to make bags of many shapes and sizes, and shoes.
Crocodile Stamped Calfskin Leather
Since genuine Crocodile leather is very expensive, calf skin stamped with a crocodile style texture is used as a substituted. Adding dye and a sublime shine to the calf skin gives it the appearance of real crocodile skin.
Fendi uses crocodile stamped calf skin to make bags of many shapes and sizes.
Snake Skin
Snake skin is another exotic leather because the skins are not plentiful.
Compared to crocodile skin tanning, snake skin tanning is fast. The process of tanning snake skin includes removing the skin from the snake, leaving the skin in a tanning solution for around 20 hours, rinsing the tanning solution off, letting the skins dry for 20 minutes, then oiling the skins. For more color, snake skins are painted or dyed after the tanning process.
Fendi uses snake skins to make handbags and smaller clutch or wallet sized bags, and boots.
Python Skin
Python skin has an exotic look with its wide design patterns. The process of tanning is the same as for any other snake skin. Even though the tanning process itself is not as costly as vegetable tanning for animal leathers, the skins are very rare which increase their cost.
Fendi uses Python skins for luxury fashioned handbags.
FENDI Leather Products
Fendi is known for its real leather products made with a variety of leather types, grades and finishes including Goat and Calf and Lamb Skin, Crocodile Stamped Calf Skin, Suede Leather, Nubuck Leather, Snake Skin, Crocodile Skin and Python Skin.
These leathers and skins are designed and crated by the world’s finest skilled artisans right in the heart of Rome. They represent Made In Italy and foster quality leather coupled with quality craftsmanship.
- Bags – Baguette, Handbag, Shoulder Bag, Clutch, Bucket, Sling, Backpack, Satchel, Bucket Bag, Belt Bag, and Tote
- Footwear – Shoes such as Slides, Flats, Heels, Mules. Booties and Outdoor Boots
- Jackets For Leisure and Sports
- Small Accessories – Passport Holders And Covers, Business Card Holders, Pouch, IPhone Case
- Accessories – Wallets For Men and Women, Coin Purses, Belts, Bracelets, and Watch Bands