A few weeks ago at La Belle Époque, something extraordinary happened. We came into possession of a bag that is not just a bag, but indeed a work of art, the result of a collaboration between Fendi and Fondazione Arte della Seta Lisio in Florence.
But let us start from the beginning and explore together how this collaboration of high Italian craftsmanship, lasting nearly 10 years, was born.
In 1997, Fendi and Fondazione Lisio began collaborating to create 11 fabrics, each original and absolutely unique, to be used for the production of an equal number of baguette bags.
The fabrics, all in hand-woven silk on the manufacture's historic looms, are the result of the collaboration between the creatives of the Fashion House and those of the Foundation: each baguette is the result of a complex design process and careful preparation, carried out in several stages.
From left to right: Heavely Spring (Spring/Summer 1999), Hell’s Winter (Autumn/Winter 1999-2000), Haute Summer (Spring/Summer 2000), Fall in Fall (Autumn/Winter 2000-2001), Saluti da Capri (Spring/Summer 2001), Saudade de voçe (Spring/Summer 2002), Once Upon a Time (Autumn/Winter 2002-2003), Jungle Fever (Spring/Summer 2003).
FF Velvet
The first fabric created by Fondazione LISIO for the production of Fendi baguettes is a velvet featuring the Fashion House's monogram: the F pair arranged in staggered horizontal rows.
From 1997 to 2005, numerous orders were placed for this fabric, produced in two versions: cut velvet and curly velvet.
Velvet craftsmanship reached its peak during the Renaissance period, with Florence serving as one of Italy's major production centers.
Following this centuries-old tradition, Fondazione Lisio continues to work this ancient weaving technique, which can only be performed on hand looms.
This baguette model was produced in five colour variants: with gold, black, red, pink, and light blue pile on an ivory background. The version you can find on our website is crafted in black velvet, making it highly versatile, timeless, and easy to adapt to many different looks.
The Wall
In October 2007, on the occasion of the Fendi fashion show held on the Great Wall of China, the final project in collaboration with Fondazione Lisio was realized. The creatives of the Fashion House were tasked with reproducing an ancient Chinese painting and translating it through the art of weaving.
The first difficulty to overcome was transcribing the delicate Chinese painting, which depicts a group of squirrels chasing each other over a gnarled tree protruding from a rock spur, using a very tactile expressive medium—meaning the materials themselves serve as a powerful tool for communication and description.
The second challenge was the creation of a very rare fabric due to the specific technique adopted: a lampas in which the binding warp yarn is gold rather than silk.
These bags and the collaboration between Fendi and Fondazione Lisio stand as witnesses to the great cultural and artisanal heritage that our country continues to offer—a heritage that must never be lost, but rather enhanced by sharing extraordinary stories like this one.
Purchase the Fendi baguette in collaboration with Fondazione Lisio on our website or visit us in our boutiques in Como and Legnano.
