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
Chopard unveils new images featuring Bella Hadid
- Wears jewelry, clothes from Happy Hearts collection
- Model also reveals images celebrating the New Year
DUBAI: US Dutch Palestinian model Bella Hadid has become a key face for Chopard, fronting several of the maison’s campaigns and reinforcing her close ties with the brand.
She was featured in Chopard’s latest Instagram posts, pairing an off-duty outfit with pieces from the brand’s jewelry collections.
In one image, Hadid embraced understated dressing in classic blue jeans and a crisp white T-shirt, elevating the minimalist look with statement pieces from Chopard’s Happy Hearts collection.
She layered five delicate gold bracelets along her wrist, each punctuated with the collection’s signature heart motif, creating a refined stacked effect.
The look was completed with a matching gold heart necklace resting softly at the neckline, coordinating ring, and gold watch, all echoing the same heart design that defines the collection.
In another post, she wore a black halter-neck top, accessorized with rose-gold rings and a stacked bracelet set from the same collection, featuring heart-shaped motifs.
The model’s collaboration with Chopard began in 2017 when she became one of the faces of the brand’s high jewelry collections.
Since then, she has appeared in several campaigns and worn Chopard pieces at major international events, including the Cannes Film Festival, Met Gala, and Paris Fashion Week.
In August, Hadid starred in the latest campaign spotlighting Chopard’s L’Heure du Diamant collection. The brand shared a behind-the-scenes video from the shoot, showing her in a white halter-neck dress as she posed in the sparkling jewelry pieces.
Hadid marked the start of the new year by sharing a carousel of images this week, offering a glimpse into how she celebrated the occasion. She rang in the New Year in Aspen.
She spent the final moments of 2025 wearing a look by Lebanese designer Georges Chakra.
The sheer-black lace dress was intricately embroidered with black crystals, featuring sculpted lace appliques framing the neckline and bodice, with satin bands finishing the hem.
Hadid and her friends appeared to celebrate in a mountain lodge, where the group gathered around a wooden fire pit to stay warm, enjoyed a fine dining experience, and continued the celebrations into the night.
