Silvia Venturini Fendi leaves the creative leadership of the brand and becomes its honorary president

The 100th anniversary of the fashion house founded by her grandparents was celebrated with collections designed entirely by her. Just a few days before the presentation of the women's collection for the PE 2026, however, Silvia Venturini Fendi is stepping down as creative director of the women's and men's collections of the family brand: Lvmh, which has controlled Fendi since 2000, announced that "as of 1 October, Silvia Venturini Fendi will assume the role of honorary president of the Roman maison, following her illustrious creative mandate, which has included directing the women's collections during the brand's centenary. Her new role will see her supporting Fendi's heritage, continuing to promote the brand globally and enhancing the rich history of the maison, its exceptional craftsmanship and the Fendi Casa universe". A new creative organisation for Fendi, the maison said in a note, will be announced in due course. According to some industry rumours, however, she could soon take her place Maria Grazia Chiuri, who last May left the creative helm of the Dior women's collections (now in the hands of Jonathan Anderson) and who had started her career right at Fendi, in the accessories division.

Under the creative direction of Silvia Venturini Fendi - 64 years old and representing the third generation of the Fendi family - the women's and men's collections had a single signature after many years. Silvia Venturini Fendi had already worked alongside Karl Lagerfeld as artistic director from 1992 to 2019, the year of the designer's death, dealing with accessories with great success, and had been creative director of menswear since 2000.

Since 2024, after the departure of Kim Jones, who had been Lagerfeld's successor, he had also taken over the leadership of the womenswear collections, signing two collections that were very favourably received by the trade.

At the beginning of her career, in 1987, she was creative director of the Fendissime line, a line designed for young girls. Her big successes include the Baguette bag, launched in 1997, and the Peekaboo for the S/S 2009 collection. Her daughter, Delfina Delettrez Fendi, designs the Fendi jewellery collection.

"These have been exciting years that I have also travelled in the name of my grandmother Adele, my mother Anna, and her sisters," she said in a note. "My thoughts go out to Karl, an extraordinary maestro who honoured me by collaborating with him, teaching me the art of sharing, an identifying quality in the female history of my family, but also how to cultivate and protect my creative vision and then fly solo. It has been a wonderful journey for me, also from a human point of view, the bond with Karl Lagerfeld, then with Kim Jones, and last but not least the one with my fantastic team, which has become part of my family over the years".