Leader of the Pack

Fashion stalwart Fendi’s “big boom” moment came in 1997 with the launch of its “Baguette” handbag, a smartly glamorous, portable carryall adorned with the unmistakeable double F logo. The fanfare that ensued among global style-obsessives belies the brand’s quieter origins as an artisan producer of one-of-a-kind furs and leather goods, servicing Italy’s elite since 1925 when Adele and Edoardo Fendi swung open the doors of their first boutique in Rome. But Silvia Venturini Fendi––the woman behind the baguette––never lost sight of her grandparents’ beginnings. In 1994 she relaunched Adele Fendi’s made-to-order Selleria line, in which each bag is created to specification by a single craftsman using traditional techniques. Marking a notable highlight in the annual fashion calendar, each season the company releases a limited-edition run of numbered Selleria bags in a variety of styles and colors and a range of materials including ostrich and crocodile, with a selection of two metals for the hardware and various threads for stitching and ribbon (monogrammed initials are also an option). For spring 2010, Fendi launched the timeless “Peekaboo”-style Selleria, a simple, unstructured gem that not surprisingly enjoys a very long waiting list.