One of the oldest Italian based fashion companies to exist is Fendi. It was first established in Rome in 1918 as a shop that specialized in fur and leather. Today, it is known worldwide as a store for
luxury items. Fendi has not always had the same name. Adele Casagrande was the original owner of the small fur and leather shop, which was located in Via del Plebiscito in Rome. In 1925, Adele then married Edoardo Fendi. They both agreed to change the name to Fendi. A new shop was opened in Via Piave in 1932, and in 1946, the eldest daughter of the five children, Paola, went to work for the company. She was then followed by her other sisters, and each daughter now owns 20% of the company's assets.
After the daughters could not find any appropriate clothing to wear under their Fendi furs, they designed the "ready-to-wear" line of clothing, which became a large success. The pieces in the Fendi collection have expanded to accessories as well, and the sunglasses are the most popular. The eyewear collection presented by Fendi is very feminine, and the high quality plastics help make the pieces luxury items. On almost every piece of eyewear, you can find a rhinestone hidden in the perfect corner, or a whole array of rhinestones down the side of the eyepiece. However, the designers at Fendi go to great care to make sure that their eyewear looks classy without being over the top.
As of 1999, the Fendi sisters sold their percentage of the company to Prada and LVMH for $850 million US dollars. It is said that they turned down a bid from Gucci for 700 million. Since then, LVMH have purchased all of Prada's assets and are investing in the Fendi brand to open as many as 117 boutiques in 2005.
