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History

Fendi purses, first made and sold in a small handbag shop in post WWI Europe, are the epitome of style and one of the foundations of a fashion empire that has lasted almost a century. Fendi purses of the same design and craftsmanship as the originals are still being made today, along with newer, more contemporary styles, all with the same attention to detail and quality that Fendi products are famous for.

Born in 1897, Adele Casagrande set up her first leather and fur shop in Rome, Italy in 1918. In 1925, she married Edoardo Fendi and they then decided to change the name of the shop to Fendi. Fendi purses quickly became well known in Rome for their craftsmanship and superb quality. Their business prospered and in 1932 they opened a new shop in Via Piave. In 1946 their first daughter, Paola went to work in the family business at the age of 15. The couple’s four remaining daughters, Carla, Anna, Franca and Alda eventually followed the eldest and went to work in the firm. When their father Edoardo died in 1954, the daughters took over the Fendi family business and began to expand it.

The first product line that the sisters introduced was fur. The Fendi name became famous for their fur coats and in 1962, they asked Karl Lagerfeld to design a line of coats for them. In addition to adding dramatic designs to their fur line, he also came up with their Double F logo.

In addition to the fur line, they developed their leather goods, including Fendi purses. Paola was in charge of the fur lines and Anna designed the purse and handbag products. Alda managed the fur salons and Carla presided over all. The name Fendi became synonymous with fine leather and fur garments, but it wasn’t until the early 1970’s that their reputation for purses and handbags took off. Some of their purses were handmade and some even made in limited quantity and numbered like artwork. In the early 1990’s Fendi produced their wildly popular Baguette purse, so named for its resemblance to the French loaf of bread by that name. These compact and sleep purses are still in high demand today and are notoriously copied for their excellent style and popularity.