All eyes were on Rome for Fendi's 90th birthday bash, where a cocktail party, fashion show, dinner and exhibition make for glamorous celebrations.

Kate Hudson, Gong Li, Bella Thorne, Lottie Moss (Kate's sister), Ornella Muti, Chiara Ferragni, Maria Grazia Chiuri, Bernard and Alexandre Arnault... last 7 July they were all to be seen in Rome, responding to invitations from Silvia Fendi and Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi's creative director since 1965. To celebrate its 90th year, the Italian family business invited legions of beautiful people to a grandiose party where emotions ran high. The programme? Private cocktail party at the Accademia di San Luca in Palazzo Carpegna, launch of the book Fendi Roma (Editions Assouline), dinner on the Pincio's terrace, music by DJ Giorgio Moroder. But the event's crowning glory was a sumptuous show of the Haute Fourrure collection designed by Karl Lagerfeld, at the Trevi Fountain no less. In this magical setting lit by the last rays of sunlight, supermodels strutted like Dolce Vita heroines on a glass runway installed over the fountain. The 46 fairytale-inspired outfits, each more amazing than the last, amply demonstrated the sublime craftsmanship that has made the label's reputation for the last nine decades. Kendall Jenner opened the proceedings in a petrol-blue Bambolina dress-coat of sheared Persian Swakara lamb decorated with three-dimensional flowers and appliqué leaves. Especially eye-catching too was an embroidered dusky pink “pannier” coat in astrakhan, brocade and Swaraka with fox cuffs. The show ended in due style with the Young Bride in the Forest cape of mink intarsia decorated with three-dimensional flowers, worn over a matching dress in hand-painted velvet and mink intarsia.

Kaleidoscopic creativity
The festivities continue this autumn, notably with the exhibition Fendi Roma – The Artisans of Dreams at the Palazzo della Civiltà Italiana until 29 October, where visitors can explore this kaleidoscope of creativity at their leisure. For devotees of Fendi style, a limited edition of 60 of the Peekaboo 90 Years bag designed by Silvia Fendi is on sale in the Palazzo Fendi store. The Italian fashion house has again flagged up its attachment to Rome by opening the new Palazzo Fendi housing the world's biggest Fendi store, including an Haute Fourrure studio, the Palazzo Privé apartment for VIP clients, the Fendi Private Suites (a boutique hotel) and a Zuma restaurant, a Fendi first for Rome. Do we need reminding that Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande founded their brand in the Italian capital, opening their first handbag shop and fur studio on Via del Plebiscito in 1926. VSupreme workmanship, experimentation, daring, innovation, modernity and glamour continue to be the watchwords of this luxe brand now in the capable hands of the family's fourth generation. The glory days in its long career include 1950 when the first fur collection came out; ever since, Fendi has been reinventing the genre to keep it hip and fashionable always. In 1965 Karl Lagerfeld invented the double-F logo standing for “Fun Fur”. The autumn/winter 2016-2017 collection certainly doesn't belie that, the furs shrugging off any hint of stuffiness, with colourful stripes and bomber styling for some of the most tempting looks, backed up by the new bags.