Two weeks ago, the newly furbished Palazzo Fendi was officially opened, with a grand reception just a couple of days after the women’s shows concluded. Fendi flew in a large group of fashion individuals on a private jet, and also called upon several friends of the brand to join Karl Lagerfeld, Silvia Fendi and Pietro Beccari as well as the Arnault family to discover the new retail headquarters of the brand.
Silvia Venturini Fendi, Karl Lagerfeld, Bernard Arnault and Pietro Beccari
The Palazzo represents a unique setup by Fendi, spread over six storeys in its main building with a separate section for menswear and kids. In the building, two floors are dedicated to retail, one private space for special guests of the brand, as well as a boutique hotel and a restaurant at the top floor, Zuma. The retail arena was designed by Gwenael Nicolas, while the hotel was designed by Dimore Studios.
The façade of the Palazzo Fendi
Nicolas explained that the choice of the materials in the creation of this store, which really does embody its DNA are all unique to it. “The use of colours in each room, each with its own ambience and style are particular to this palazzo. Rome is very powerful, it’s surprising and you sometimes will see things that are constrasting together.” An example is the intarsiad floor with Calacutta or Marquina marble, while the staircase is in red Lepanto marble, which Nicolas describes as “the sense of flowing lava that cascades down the stairs”.
The men’s retail area in the Palazzo Fendi
What’s truly exciting is the Fendi Private Suites, a series of seven rooms which can be booked, that’s just above the retail store and sits between that and Zuma. The suites, which are lavishly decorated in Fendi Casa and are beautifully elegant, are available for reservation by anyone, though we suspect Fendi frequent buyers will probably have first dips, along with special friends of the brand. Rooms start from 650 Euros a night, excluding taxes, so it’s a fair deal considering the quality of the space. Plus, you’re right on the Via Corso, just before the Spanish Steps and practically adjacent to all the key highlights of Rome from the Trevi Fountain to the Pantheon.
Check out the video of the official launch of the Palazzo, and an interview with Karl Lagerfeld and Sylvia Fendi on the new collection.
