Designer Profile: Fendi

Sixties Chic
By Danielle Cohen

Photo courtesy of Fendi

Legendary designer Karl Lagerfeld is going back in time with a quirky collection that’s a throwback to the 1960s. Fendi’s spring/ summer 2012 collection includes a bevy of unique geometric cuts and stripes, and even features a selection of sunglasses reminiscent of lab goggles.

The longtime innovator of fine-leather goods has more big news to share. With the recent opening of its freestanding boutique in The Forum Shops at Caesars, Fendi unveiled the U.S. debut of its exclusive stand-alone Shoe Salon. While the décor of the shoe haven blends seamlessly with the rest of the 3,000-square-foot shop, it has its own nook with footwear priced between $200 and $1,000.

Since its founding in 1925, Fendi has not ceased to amaze, and its new Vegas boutique is no exception. The shop’s pièce de résistance is its perfectly symmetrical coffered ceiling: a replica of the dome of the Pantheon. The original Italian architectural masterpiece was constructed in 27 b.c.; Fendi’s reproduction was built in Rome by skilled artisans using the finest materials, then exported to Vegas. Its oculus, a round skylight at the top of the dome, was engineered so that light moves throughout the retail floor as the Earth rotates.

On the illuminated sales floor, Fendi will carry an extended collection of women’s accessories and shoes, as well as men’s accessories and casual wear.