ROME: Carla Fendi, one of the five Italian sisters who transformed their parents’ small leather workshop into an international luxury fashion powerhouse, has died at the age of 79, the family said on Tuesday.
Fendi, who died late on Monday and was the fourth of the sisters, was the public face of the company famous for its line of colorful “baguette” bags that cost thousands of dollars.
While other members of the family were the creative forces, Carla concentrated on promoting the company brand, whose logo of two F’s, one of them upside down and backwards, became an internationally recognized symbol for luxury.
The multinational LVMH luxury group gained a controlling stake in Fendi in 2001 in a deal worth hundreds of millions of dollars that brought together some of the world’s most famous luxury brands. LVMH significantly increased its stake later.
It was a far cry from the family’s humble origins nearly a century ago.
The sisters’ mother, Adele Casagrande, opened a small leather workshop in 1918 just off Rome’s bustling Piazza Venezia.
Adele Casagrande married Eduardo Fendi in 1925 and the two opened a small boutique next door and lived above the shop.
The five sisters were born between 1931 and 1940 and as children they played among the leather shreds on the shop floor and slept amid the handbags.
“Accessories were our first toys,” Carla Fendi once told Women’s Wear Daily.
The sisters moved to company to the chic neighborhood around Rome’s Spanish steps in the 1960s and in later expanded into ready-to-wear, shoes, perfume, household goods and children’s wear.
The company received a big boost from the creative collaboration of Karl Lagerfeld, who helped in the design of clothes, furs, and accessories.
Animal rights activists frequently protested against the company for its use of furs.
In her later years, Carla Fendi became a well-known patron of the arts. Deeply committed to Rome and its culture, her foundation financed the restoration of the city’s famous Trevi Fountain.
She was also a chief patron of the Two Worlds arts festival in the Umbrian city of Spoleto.
Carla Fendi, face of famous Italian luxury brand, dies aged 79
Carla Fendi, face of famous Italian luxury brand, dies aged 79
Teyana Taylor flaunts Ashi Studio gown
DUBAI: US singer-songwriter and actress Teyana Taylor attended the 41st Annual Santa Barbara International Film Festival on Sunday in a gown by Saudi Arabia couturier Mohammed Ashi.
The gown is from the designer’s Paris-based label Ashi Studio, specifically its Spring/Summer 2026 couture collection.
The all-white look featured a corseted bodice, frayed fabric and slick material offering an experimental wet look to the gown.
Taylor has been on something of a fashion run lately, while promoting Paul Thomas Anderson’s “One Battle After Another.”
Her performance has been widely praised, earning her the Golden Globe for Best Supporting Actress, as well as nominations from SAG-AFTRA, BAFTA and the Academy Awards.
Meanwhile, Paramount confirmed last week that “Get Lite,” Taylor’s feature directorial debut, will arrive in cinemas next spring. The film is scheduled for wide theatrical release on April 9, 2027.
Set in New York, the story centers on a gifted yet protected dance student whose world expands when he unexpectedly discovers community, connection and purpose within the city’s subway system.
US actor Storm Reid is set to lead the cast and also serve as a producer on the project, alongside US writer Kenya Barris and actor and filmmaker Anni Weisband. Taylor also registers as an executive producer.
The film “Get Lite” marks Taylor’s first feature as a director. While she is best known for her work as a performer, Taylor has previously directed several music videos, including her own projects “Gonna Love Me” and “Rose in Harlem.”
Those works offered early insight into her visual sensibility and interest in storytelling driven by music and movement, paving the way for her transition into long-form narrative filmmaking.
Beyond film, Taylor has also reached a milestone in music, securing her first Grammy nomination in 2026 for her latest album “Escape Room.”
Ashi’s creations have been worn by celebrities and stars including Beyonce, Lady Gaga, Jennifer Hudson, Kylie Minogue, Penelope Cruz, Deepika Padukone, Sonam Kapoor, and Queen Rania of Jordan.
Ashi became the first couturier from the Gulf region to join the Federation de la Haute Couture in Paris as a guest member in 2023. He was also the first Gulf designer included in the BoF 500 list, the Business of Fashion’s index of people shaping the fashion industry in 2023.
