The luxury retail experience is nothing new in Rome. Everyday, shoppers flood into the center and crowd the streets around Piazza di Spagna and beyond. High-end garments finished with the finest embellishments and partnered with the most coveted catwalk accessories adorn the windows of the biggest fashion houses. Gucci, Prada, Valentino, Versace, all the big names can be found within a stone’s throw of each other in this sphere of Rome.
But there’s one fashion house, arguably the most Roman of them all, leading the way in not just the retail experience, but cultural, hospitality and entertainment experiences too.
Fendi has recently opened its largest flagship store on the crossroads of Via del Corso and Via Condotti, in the heart of the luxury shopping neighborhood. The five storey complex features not only two floors of boutique with an in-house fur atelier, but also a VIP space for hosting ‘friends of the Fendi family’. There’s also seven glamorous private hotel suites, and a branch of the international Japanese restaurant chain, Zuma. Oh, and a rooftop bar. Fendi is pulling out all the stops to make their store the must-see destination in town.
Pass through the doors at Palazzo Fendi, and you’ll realize the whole show here is on another level. Of course, the boutique section is a space to browse the clothing, but more than that, it’s a showroom for the Fendi brand itself.
“Palazzo Fendi is not only our largest boutique in the world, it is much more than a store,” says Pietro Beccari, CEO of Fendi. “It’s a game changer, an emblem and symbol of our DNA. There is no other place where you can so easily understand our very precise, very personal vision of luxury.”
Upon entering, I’m stopped in my tracks by the immense ‘Moon Ball’ sculpture of the Swiss artist, Not Vital. A mirrored sphere, with a pleasingly pockmarked surface, this sculpture is the first clue that no expense has been spared in the creation of Palazzo Fendi. In fact, the boutique was designed by French architect Gwenaël Nicolas who has previously collaborated with big brands such as Louis Vuitton, Uniqlo and Japanese designer Issey Miyake.
Known for minimal, light and airy spaces, Nicolas’ work focuses on creating movement and flow, and indeed it’s a pleasure to journey through and browse the boutique he’s created here.
To complement the clean, geometric style, Fendi has added multiple artworks from top names in the world of art and design. Amongst the sleekly cut garments of the menswear section, is Hervé Van Der Straeten’s white marble console, half piece of furniture, half work of art. Take the grandiose red Lepanto marble stairs (amazingly made from one colossal piece) to the first floor and you’ll see Big Growth Table by artist Mathias Bengtsson, probably my favorite piece in the store. The bronze sculpture, appears both solid and fluid at the same time, with the table top taking the form of molten liquid, spreading further outwards and down to the floor before setting hard like spilt wax. Just one Fendi item, a peach-rose colored crocodile skin ‘Peekaboo’ bag rests on the table top, enclosed in a glass cube like a work of art in a gallery.
Fendi is recognized as a fun and youthful fashion house, and their playful style pops up most evidently in the boutique, in the form of ‘The Armchair of Thousand Eyes’. Created by Brazilian designers the Campana Brothers, it’s a version of their renowned ‘Banquete’ chair made with over 100 multicolored Bag Bugs – Fendi’s trademark furry monster accessory. Made with Kidassia goat fur, shearling, monoglia and rabbit fur, the Bag Bugs rest on gilded brass legs to create this cheerful, one-off piece which was originally unveiled during Milan Design Week 2015. Expect it to be all over Instagram before long.
As for the garb itself, you’ll find leather goods on the ground floor including the iconic Baguette bag and the classic Selleria range. Bags can be customized with the addition of a variety of swappable straps. Choose something subtle with a contrasting calfskin leather strap, one side bubble gum pink, the other golden honey colored. Or inject some fun with a bold strap fashioned from orange python skin with a pop of fuchsia underneath.
The jewel in the retail crown here though is the ready to wear section on the first floor, and the accompanying in-house fur atelier. Here, is where you’ll see the influence of Fendi creative director, Karl Lagerfeld.
The longest partnership with any fashion house, Lagerfeld joined Fendi in 1965. His ‘Fun Fur’ collection took traditionally very formal materials and used them in new ways. Pioneering techniques like cutting, mixing and treating fur like any other rough, low-cost material is credited with making Fendi leaders in the fur industry.
Indeed, lining the walls of this palazzo are not only Lagerfeld’s sketches showing the evolution of his designs, but also multicolored and kaleidoscopic fur artworks. Their varying textures and patterns are heightened further by the addition of hundreds of metal pins (the same as those used by the artisans when creating the garments), which are spiked geometrically into the surface.
Not just a showroom however, Palazzo Fendi has a working fur atelier with eight artisans creating precious pieces. This visible workshop means clients can gaze inside and gain a unique insight into the production process of some of the most expensive and exclusive garments around.
The team (who each train for more than ten years) create a pattern from an original Lagerfeld sketch. The chosen fur (it could be minx, sable, lynx or fox for example) is then wet and stretched to fit the pattern. Once dry, the artisans get to work on piecing together the garment itself.
Visit the atelier and you might just see some of the techniques Fendi is famous for. ‘Gheronatura’, for example, involves slicing the fur into thin V-shaped strips in what I found to be a rather hypnotizing manner. ‘Intarsio’ is used in the bold, graphic designs and results in a jigsaw-puzzle-like, patchwork finish. Come to the boutique and you’ll see the results for yourself hanging on the rails. I spy a statement piece bobcat fur coat which I’m told takes more than 400 hours of work to complete. Last year, Fendi sent a full-length sable fur coat down the runway that reportedly cost €1m, so quality and exclusivity come with a hefty price tag; five-figure sums are not uncommon here. That said, one of the super fun Bag Bugs, which have come to epitomize the Fendi brand, starts at around €500.
If you are browsing within the six-figure price point, you may well gain access to the exclusive VIP space, Palazzo Privé. Designed by the Dimore Studio of Milan, the luxury apartment is a place to host ‘friends of the Fendi family’ in the most lavish setting. CEO Beccari has called it a money can’t buy experience.
The next layer of Palazzo Fendi is Fendi Private Suites, seven lavish hotel rooms which mix home furnishings from the Fendi Casa range and the design of architect Marco Costanzi. Prices range from €700-1900 per night and just like the boutique below, top artworks have been chosen to complement the Fendi aesthetic. This also includes a set of black and white photographs of Roman fountains shot by Karl Lagerfeld himself.
The only thing missing from this all-encompassing palazzo is the chance to be nourished and to dine in a beautiful environment. On the 22 March however, contemporary Japanese-inspired restaurant chain Zuma will open its doors. Founded by top chef Rainer Becker, expect modern Japanese cuisine presented in a sophisticated but relaxed setting.
You won’t find the usual three-course meal here, with dishes arriving as soon as they’re ready. Known as the ‘izakaya’ style, dishes are designed to be shared or enjoyed individually. After what Zuma calls an authentic but not traditional Japanese dining experience, you can relax in the rooftop bar and take a moment to ponder just how lucky you are whilst enjoying a spectacular view of the Eternal City.
Following the likes of London, New York and Dubai, Rome will be the restaurant chain’s tenth location. With this final flourish, Fendi has concreted Rome’s reputation as a luxury shopping destination and at the same time, raised the bar for fashion houses around the world.
