100 Years of Italian Excellence: FENDI Celebrates A Century in Style
Shearling fur, architectural tailoring, and iconic bags mark a milestone in fashion
The vast crowd sat in complete silence, the space plunged into darkness. Then, the music filled the room, a hauntingly atmospheric score, cueing the beginning of an extraordinary moment. This was FENDI’s Fall/Winter 2025-2026 fashion show, marking a hundred years of the Roman luxury house with a presentation that was as much about the past as it was about the future.
Held at the new Spazio FENDI in Milan, the setting paid homage to the maison’s origins. The space was a mirage of the historic salons of the Via Borgognona boutique, where the five Fendi sisters once worked and entertained. Through grand wood-panelled doors, the show transported the audience into a world of plush burgundy carpets, chandeliers, and deep-rooted glamour, a scene befitting the milestone.
Silvia Venturini Fendi, artistic director of accessories and menswear collections, took a deeply personal approach to this collection. Rather than immersing herself in the archives, she reflected on a century of FENDI through memory, both real and imagined.
The silhouettes set the tone early on in the show. For instance, one of the standout pieces was a flared coat, cinched at the waist with a fine gold belt, worn as a dress. Shearling, once reserved for the most opulent furs, was reimagined with intricate techniques, mimicking fox, mink, and sable. There was an almost sculptural quality to the tailoring—hourglass-shaped jackets, marbled plissé dresses, and chevron patchwork skirts that moved like liquid. The palette, inspired by Rome’s changing skies, shifted from deep forest greens and petrol blues to fiery shades of cinnamon, terracotta, and buttermilk.
Menswear embraced a similarly polished approach, with boiled wool coats that were deconstructed yet sharply cut and trench coats that played with proportion. Shearling stoles became statement pieces, draped over jewel-toned cardigans or structured outerwear.
Much talked about, the accessories were reminiscent of house icons with a contemporary twist. The FENDI Giano, a moon-shaped clutch, stood out with a FENDI squirrel emblem on one side and Janus’ portrait on the other. The celebrated Spy Bag returned with a deconstructed edge, while favourites Peekaboo and Mamma Baguette re-emerged in new textures of shearling intarsia and mirrored sequins.
Even footwear played into the theme. Trompe l’oeil boots and peep-toe slippers in satin and eel leather featured unexpected metallic flashes.
Jewellery, designed by Delfina Delettrez Fendi, also made a statement under the lights on the runway. Snake chain collars and chandelier earrings complimented the fur, while obelisk pendants and sterling silver ball-chain necklaces grounded the collection with a touch of an architectural element.
Beyond the fashion, the show was a tribute to legacy. It was inaugurated by Dardo and Tazio, the seven-year-old twin sons of Delfina Delettrez Fendi, who opened the wooden doors in matching equestrian outfits—a nod to a childhood look worn by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1967.
Lead Image Supplied