Karl Lagerfeld: 50 years at Fendi

It was 1965 when Karl Lagerfeld started his career as creative director of the Italian fashion house Fendi; this year celebrates 50 years with Kaiser Karl as he breaks the world record of any collaboration between a designer and a brand. “My 50-year collaboration with Fendi is the longest collaboration in fashion,” he says. “Nowhere, even designers of their own [labels]; no one lived long enough to do it for such a long time. And I am not tired of it at all. I even think I work better today”.

In order to commemorate the relationship between the five Fendi sisters back in the 60s and Silvia Venturini Fendi (head of menswear and accessories) today, an amazing book has been created. The fashion house also made its entrance in the couture world for the very first time in its own history.

Founded in 1925 and born primarily as a fur house, Fendi presented its first couture show at Paris Haute Couture Week this July and Lagerfeld decided to make this event absolutely extraordinary. Focusing on the brand heritage he showcased “Haute Fourrure”, a collection made to remark Fendi’s impeccable quality in fur crafting.

The other project thought to celebrate the lucky union is, as we anticipated, the publication of a book, Fendi by Karl Lagerfeld, which is a majestic retrospective on Lagerfeld’s revolutionary work since he first entered the brand’s atelier in Rome. It contains more than 200 sketches by the designer, interviews and recorded conversations.

Francesca Milano