Silvia Venturini Fendi: ‘For me, fashion and craftsmanship are the same’

Fashion is not an acquired taste for Silvia Venturini Fendi, 62. Very few foundational European luxury fashion houses — those created before World War II — still have family members in creative positions. That’s why Venturini Fendi, the artistic director of the men’s fashion and accessories collections, has a story that one hears less often these days: she has been around the craft since birth. “As a child, when I went to see my mother at work, she was always very busy,” she recalls. “To avoid disturbing her, I would often go to the lab and hang out with the dressmakers, who would give me fabrics and let me help out with a task. The workshop was my favorite place; I had the best time there. I grew up watching my mother talk to the artisans, and it was a real fashion education. When I go into the factory, I feel at home. I could almost say that I have the heart of an artisan.” Read more at El País.