Jane

Visiting the Fendi headquarters in Rome provided fellow FMB students and myself with an exclusive insight into the world of luxury fashion retail. Firstly the structural design of the 19^th century Palazzo Fendi resonates with the concept of beauty, exclusivity and luxury. The minimal window displays juxtaposed the lavishness and detail of the 19^th century mansion. 

Once welcomed inside we were able to admire the interior décor. Created by interior designer Peter Marino the building emulated a mixture of Italian style, French grandeur and American eclecticism. It consisted of dark carved wood, a grand chandelier and a sky roof. Traditional Roman architecture was channeled throughout the building with the use local travertine and San Pietrini stones which contrasted nicely with the modern fluid lines found throughout the rest of the store. Fendi uses the concept of rooms to showcase their individual collections, which continues the exterior theme of a grand country home. This store concept is a current trend in retail architecture as which we observed in our trip to Rome in the Belstaff and Burberry stores.

The intrinsic detail interiorly and architecturally was also reflected in the development of their iconic fur coats. We were privileged in having a detailed presentation about the development of the Fendi fur coats. From the design process to their significant value, we were given access to everything you need to know about Fendi fur. Karl Lagerfeld’s design sketches were displayed for us to be in awe of and to make the experience even better we were given the opportunity to try on the fur coats. The soft, sumptuous feel of the coats has even made me consider saving the pounds (£101,000 to be exact!) to get my hands on one.