1925–1960s
A family business
The Roman workshop grew under the founders and their five daughters. Karl Lagerfeld joined in 1965, beginning a creative relationship that lasted until his death in 2019.
The House & Its Designers
Fendi
Rome · 1925
Roman leather craft with an appetite for experimentation.
Adele and Edoardo Fendi’s leather and fur business grew into a house known for material invention. Its bags combine that technical skill with an unusually playful approach to proportion and decoration.
28 photographs · Reviewed August 2026
Explore the history ↓
01 / The house
The story behind the name.
1997
The Baguette
Silvia Venturini Fendi’s compact shoulder bag offered an alternative to larger, more practical handbags. Its simple outline became a canvas for embroidery, colour and unusual materials.
2008–2009
The Peekaboo
Created in 2008 and presented for Spring/Summer 2009, the Peekaboo used a structured frame and a partly open front to reveal its interior. Construction supplied the visual surprise.
2020–2025
New creative leadership
Kim Jones joined in 2020 and left in 2024. Maria Grazia Chiuri was named chief creative officer in October 2025, returning to a house where she had worked earlier in her career.
02 / The designers
The people who shaped the house.
Selected creative chapters; dates distinguish appointments from runway debuts.
1965–2019
Karl Lagerfeld
Made material experimentation a continuous part of the house.
Accessories designer
Silvia Venturini Fendi
Created the Baguette and Peekaboo, two different expressions of Fendi’s leather craft.
2020–2024
Kim Jones
Led women’s ready-to-wear and couture.
Appointed 2025
Maria Grazia Chiuri
Returned to Fendi as chief creative officer.
On the runway
Selected looks and details, matched to the house and season.
Fendi · Fall 2018 Ready To Wear
Fendi · Fall 2019 Ready To Wear
Fendi · Fall 2020 Ready To Wear
Fendi · Spring 2024 Ready To Wear
03 / The bags
A vocabulary in leather and form.
A selection of the house’s designs. Resale photographs illustrate individual examples; size, finish and condition vary.
01
Baguette
A compact rectangular bag designed to tuck beneath the arm.
02
Peekaboo
A top-handle frame bag with two compartments and an interior meant to be glimpsed.
03
First
An angled F-shaped frame turns the house initial into the bag’s opening.
04
By the Way
A compact zip-top bag with short handles and a shoulder strap.
05
Sunshine Shopper
A structured tote with prominent Fendi lettering and rigid handles.
06
Spy
A roomy, gathered leather bag with woven handles and distinctive concealed details.
07
2Jours
A structured tote with a framed top edge and contrasting side panels.
08
Selleria
A leather-craft line rather than a single model, recognised for prominent hand stitching.
09
Iconic Mini Baguette
A miniature version of the house’s rectangular shoulder bag.
More designs to know
- Mama Baguette
- A roomier shoulder-bag interpretation of the Baguette family.
- Origami
- A convertible design that folds between a bucket shape and a tote.