Fendi

The appointment of Karl Lagerfeld as lead designer in 1965 changed the trajectory of Fendi entirely. Lagerfeld modernized the fur line by introducing less expensive pelts, rabbit and squirrel among them, into high fashion, and he launched the house's first ready-to-wear collection. He also created the double-F monogram, originally standing for "Fun Fur," which became one of the most recognizable logos in fashion. Lagerfeld's collaboration with Fendi lasted 54 years, the longest partnership between a designer and a fashion house on record, and ended only with his death in February 2019.

Silvia Venturini Fendi, granddaughter of the founders and the last family member in a creative role, shaped the accessories division from 1994 onward. She designed the Baguette bag in 1997, a compact shoulder bag named for the way Parisian women tuck bread loaves under their arms. It became one of the first true "It bags," appearing on Sex and the City and spawning over a thousand variations. In 2008, she followed it with the Peekaboo, a structured, logoless bag that signaled a shift away from the era's logomania. Both designs remain central to Fendi's identity.

LVMH acquired a controlling stake in Fendi in 1999, initially sharing ownership with Prada before buying out Prada's 25.5 percent share in 2002. Today LVMH owns the house outright. In 2015, Fendi moved its headquarters into the Palazzo della Civilta Italiana in Rome's EUR district, a travertine landmark sometimes called the Square Colosseum. After Lagerfeld's death, Kim Jones was appointed artistic director of couture and womenswear in 2020, serving until late 2024. Silvia Venturini Fendi continued to lead menswear and accessories through the house's centennial in 2025 before stepping into an honorary president role.

Fendi's strength in leather goods, fur, and accessories translates directly into the secondary market. On Nordic auction platforms, the house appears regularly at Kaplans Auktioner, Bruun Rasmussen, Finarte, and Bukowskis, with 111 items recorded across our database. The category spread reflects the breadth of Fendi's output: miscellaneous items lead at 75, followed by collectibles (12), handbags (9), silver accessories (5), and watches (4). Top realized prices include a Zucca chef handbag at 10,878 SEK, a Nano Fendigraphy bag at 7,095 EUR, and a Sunshine shopper at 5,805 EUR. The handbag results confirm that Fendi bags, particularly those with the Zucca print or from recent collections like the Fendigraphy line, hold value on the resale market across Scandinavia.