A new era for Fendi
The energy at Italian fashion house Fendi is unparalleled this week. Fresh off an electric Milan Fashion Week presentation of its Spring/Summer 2026 collection, the fashion house announced that Silvia Venturini Fendi, third generation of the brand’s founding family, is stepping down as creative director.
She was, however, named as the brand’s honorary president, effective Oct. 1, where she will “[continue] to champion the brand worldwide,” the company says.
A fantastical Spring/Summer collection
Fendi’s latest Spring/Summer collection, designed under Venturini Fendi’s leadership, has been described as a fantastical presentation—with the designer saying it has a “relaxed and colorful sense of ease with a romantic elegance.”
The collection, shown last Sept. 24, features pieces that balance structure with lightness, hints of athletic aesthetics energized by bold color blocking, and made playful with unexpected details like florals, knots, weaves, and beads.
There are more than 80 looks in the collection, each one carrying elements of playfulness and youthfulness through subtly quirky, vibrant, and intricate accessories or details. Throughout the collection, the flower stands out as a central motif, appearing through cut-out petals, lace patterns, and beadwork.
The future of Fendi
Venturini Fendi has been with the Rome-based fashion house since the ’90s, working closely with designer and artistic director Karl Lagerfeld. Since 1994, Venturini Fendi has headed the menswear and accessory lines of the brand, and has also recently taken on the design of the women’s collections after Kim Jones departed from the brand.
“These have been truly exciting years, a journey I have walked also in the name of my grandmother Adele, my mother Anna, and her sisters,” says Venturini Fendi in a statement.
“My heart turns to Karl, an extraordinary master who granted me the honor of working by his side, teaching me the art of sharing, a defining quality in my family’s history of women, while guiding me to nurture and protect my own creative vision so that I could then fly on my own. What a wonderful journey it has been, not only creatively but also from a human perspective: first through my bond with Karl Lagerfeld, then with Kim Jones, and last but not least with my fantastic team, which over the years has become part of my family.”
As the honorary president of Fendi, she is expected to take the lead on the house’s efforts to further Fendi’s brand legacy and craftsmanship.
