Karl Lagerfeld, 50 Years Collaboration with Fendi

Diana Bell-Heather   |   07-09-2015

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The Story

The house of Fendi was established by Adele and Edoardo Fendi in Rome in 1925. The opening of the first Fendi boutique, a fur and bag shop, followed.

Since then, Fendi has focused greatly on research and has successfully built the strong reputation it has today.

At the end of the Fifties, Fendi anticipated changing female tastes and needs and began its transformation. The makers of these changes were the five daughters of the founders, Paola, Anna, Franca, Carla and Alda, who, after finishing their education, had entered the company bringing a new spirit of enthusiasm and innovation. They went on to create new models of fur and new processing techniques, bringing revolutionary changes to the fur universe, towards an enthusiastic audience in search of new styles and elegance, dictates that met the requirements of the social evolution that was in act in Italy at that time.

When Karl Lagerfeld joined the company in 1965, the transformation of furs continued and became evermore revolutionary. By continuing along the line of the great changes already implemented by the sisters, Karl Lagerfeld managed to transform the traditional image of furs from being simply a status symbol, valuable yet a little weighty and stiff, into a new modern item of clothing, transformed, reshaped and redesigned in terms of styles, materials and processing methods.

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The one by Karl Lagerfeld was a total revolution that also led to the research of new materials. Long forgotten and neglected furs, considered too “poor looking”, are rediscovered and new tanning methods and processing techniques are experimented. Leather is cut, interwoven and inlaid. A new type of fur is introduced: light, soft, comfortable and easy to wear, worked and treated like any other item of clothing. In 1966 Fendi’s and Karl Lagerfeld’s first presentation Fall/Winter 1966-67 receives the unconditional approval of the press.

Soon after, Karl Lagerfeld designs the new Fendi Logo, a double FF that symbolizes “Fun Fur” a tribute to the Roman Maison that represents master of materials and unique handmade abilities in fur.

For the Fall/Winter 1971-72 collection Karl Lagerfeld designs the iconic Astuccio (Case) fur. A burned brown and black mink cape realized using the traditional “let-out” workmanship (Gheronatura) that enhances the straight and leaned over line, played in the asymmetry of linings.

Still today, this fur is considered contemporary, reinterpreted for the Fall/Winter 1973-74 in a shorter and more contemporary version.

In line with the new cultural revolution dictating a new form of less-exclusive fashion, in 1977, Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld launch a Ready-to-Wear Collection alongside its range of traditionally hand-tailored furs, presenting it in the short movie Histoire d’Eau by Jaques De Bascher. This new collection is based on ideas and quality standards typical of limited-production series, with the added benefit of the expertise of FENDI’s haute-couture research laboratories.

During that period in particular, FENDI’s constantly evolving processing techniques became a symbol of inimitable craftsmanship. New methods of interweaving materials are studied and implemented, materials are imprinted, fur is pleated and coloured, the lining is removed, striped effects are experimented and leather is treated, lightened and open-worked.

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In the late Seventies, more precisely for the Fall/Winter 1978 -79 collection, Karl Lagerfeld creates another iconic example of pure craftsmanship, the Mappamondo fur. A mélange grey mole fur cape, realized using a net manufactured, hand-cut workmanship, in order to create a chromatic illusion that defines the design of the Earth continents.

A collection inspired by the beautiful skies of the world is presented soon after in Fall/Winter 1979-80 and takes their well-earned place in the fashion history remarking once more the amazing abilities of the Fendi artisans. Furs are coloured like paintings, asymmetric shapes are invented achieving unthought-of lightness and creativity. In 1979 also the creation of the Inflatable fur (the fourrure gonflable). An ironic “anti froid and anti-choc” project.

During the Eighties the techniques become even more sophisticated. Furs are coloured like the artworks of Florentine impressionist painters; asymmetric shapes are invented achieving unthought-of lightness.

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In 1983 Karl Lagerfeld and the Fendi sisters create the Pequin, the Fendi logo non logo, a striped pattern texture on dark brown and brown. Still today, this is used as a reference for fur workmanship creations and as a graphic benchmark for ready-to-wear and accessories.

Dualism is the main theme of the Fall/Winter 1983-84 collection, what is normally separate is now together, the day turns into evening and the night lives by daylight, the left is unaware of the right, the sleeve “of plenty” transforms the other into a fluttering shawl.

In 1985 Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld present at GNAM (National Gallery of Modern Art) in Rome the exhibition “Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld. Un Percorso di Lavoro” (Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld. A work path). A sketch of Karl Lagerfeld for this occasion foresees the fur revolution from the Sixties throughout the Eighties until the future years 2000.

In this same year Fendi wins the “Premio Italia”, an award for the Best Printed Fabrics for the flower pattern designed by Karl Lagerfeld, which is still today source of inspiration.

The next year, in 1986 Karl Lagerfeld designs the costumes for the Opera piece La Carmen. For the first time a precious material like fur is used together with a denim fabric creating a unique masterpiece.

In the same year also the creation of the iconic Drapery coat for the Sea Collection Fall/Winter 1986-87.

In 1988 Karl Lagerfeld shoots the first Fendi advertising campaign, the beginning of a new chapter.

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The year 1989 dictates the triumph of furs made using the reversible “grained leather” technique, a process that involves the combination of fur, without the lining, and leather with extraordinary final results.

Even during the Nineties Fendi focuses on continuous research and new techniques. Raw-edge cuts, open-work techniques and special treatments for materials. Silk, wool and cashmere are mixed and matched with valuable or “poorer” furs. As a challenge to creativity, furs become less visible, in order to adapt to new society’s needs and to the desire for less excessive, unpretentious styles.

In 1990 Rome hosts the Soccer World Cup. In this occasion Fendi is the sponsor and designs the costumes for dancers that perform at the final game featuring the monuments of Rome on their heads. Karl Lagerfeld for this occasion designs a sketch featuring a model with the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana on her head.

Following the creative wave of the beginning of the Nineties, Karl Lagerfeld creates a Spring Summer collection in 1991 inspired by the zodiac signs that featured ready-to-wear prints and fabrics with his original sketches. The next year in 1992 Karl Lagerfeld creates a Spring Summer collection with Pasta elements featured in accessories, jewellery and as fabric prints in ready-to-wear.

In 1993 the creation of Il Pazzo iconic fur for the Fall/Winter 1993-94 collection, a silk coat net on leather with weasel, sable, mink, petit gris, beaver furs and wools in shades of brown featuring a multi-material manual application “a cascata” (waterfall). In 1996 Karl Lagerfeld sketches a vertical figure for the new column silhouette. An architectural impulse elongates the shapes with an essential graphical design, embellished only by high triumphant collars. In 1998 Karl Lagerfeld designed the Fendi’s Cinderella, a mechanical doll, in the occasion of the Cinderella ball at Palazzo Corsini, during the Biennale di Firenze.

While furs seem to have retaken center stage thanks also to Fendi who has never stopped working and interpreting this material with creativity consistent with socio-cultural needs in the new Millennium the Fendi furs continue along the revolutionary path. Plastic materials are used and furs are filled like space suits, plasticized, pressed and inflated, like for example the ironic and unique inflatable fur sketched by Karl Lagerfeld.

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In the year 2000 the inlay workmanship reaches the maximum expression for the FW 2000-01 collection with coloured circles and squares symbolizing this Fendi traditional and unique workmanship. The inlay workmanship consists in assembling specific geometric shapes of shaved fur then sewn together. This technique is quite complex and elaborate, it takes more than 80 hours to create one Fur. In addition it requires extreme precision as the different shapes have to perfectly match together.

In 2007 Fendi marks the history of fashion by staging a fashion show on the Great Wall of China for the Spring/Summer 2008 collection as well as a special collection created by Karl Lagerfeld and Silvia Venturini Fendi. The Great Wall of China is the most celebrated symbol by Chinese and one of the world’s greatest wonders. At sunset 88 models, 44 from China and 44 from around the world descended the 80 meters catwalk on the Great Wall at Juyongguan pass, a beautiful stretch of the Great Wall 50 Kilometers northwest of Beijing.

Fantastic techniques are studied in the Fendi Fur Atelier in 2008, such as the molecular fusion, where the fur captures 24 karats gold molecules, as brush strokes on its edges giving a unique precious effect to Karl Lagerfeld’s designs of furs.

In 2013 the creation of Metamorphosis fur for the Icons Unchained Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection, where fur is sublimated by innovative craftsmanship and technology. Polychromic pastel tones, intarsia and stripes, versus white and pure vivid colours.

In that same year the staging of Un Art Autre, a travelling fur exhibition in Tokyo. Then, it travels to Beijing in October and to Hong Kong the year after, talking about the essence and the history of the Fendi furs.

In July of the same year FENDI and Karl Lagerfeld stage The Glory of Water in Paris, a travelling photographic exhibition featuring shots of the Fountains of Rome made by Karl Lagerfeld together with a photographic book. An homage to the city of Rome. For the Spring/Summer 2013 Karl Lagerfeld creates the Big Bang fur for the Three-Dimensional Collection thanks to amazing fur workmanship in combination with colour.

The inlay workmanship, part of the Fendi’s fur tradition, remains actual also in the Fall/Winter 2013-14 collection. In the years this technique has been applied to different volumes of fur and colours in order to create 3D effect and perspective figures of fur.

In the Spring/Summer 2014 collection fur is no longer synonymous of cold and winter. Karl Lagerfeld designs a triumph of feather weight fur coats, dresses and tops with fur inserts on organza that can be easily worn all summer long, giving a new life to furs.

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This concept continues in the Spring/Summer 2015 with mink fur together with organza petals creating a “flying bird” effect. Expressing extreme lightness though pastel colours. The orchid becomes a Fendi symbol featured as a print in RTW, furs and accessories.

Fendi’s fur working techniques are now more than ever considered as a highly skilled craftsmanship school, being the only fashion brand to have an in house Fur atelier and a benchmark for the sector throughout the entire world.

In July 2015 Fendi takes part for the first time to the Haute Couture Fashion Week in Paris with the Haute Fourrure fashion show, celebrating the 50 years collaboration of Karl Lagerfeld with Fendi, the longest collaboration ever between a designer and a luxury Maison.