Franca Fendi dies at 87

MILAN — Franca Fendi died in Rome on Wednesday at the age of 87.

The third daughter of the Fendi family, with her four sisters Carla, who died in 2017; Anne; Paola and Aida, she had helped to develop and expand the family luxury house.

She held commercial responsibilities in the brand's stores in Rome until the sale of the brand. company in 1999. LVMH Moët Hennessy Louis Vuitton and Prada Group acquired 51% of the Rome-based leather goods and fashion house in 1999. LVMH bought Prada's stake in November 2001 and today controls the company, which is headed by Chairman and CEO Serge Brunschwig.

Related Galleries

Silvia Venturini Fendi is currently responsible for the company's menswear and accessories, while Kim Jones designs womenswear and couture.

Franca Fendi has not held a position in the company since the acquisition, unlike her sister Carla, who remained on the board of directors as honorary president.

In 2001, Franca Fendi's husband, Luigi Formilli, died a few years after donating his his kidney to his ailing, diabetic partner in 1996. Formilli was also heavily involved in the business, holding various positions within the fashion house, overseeing all aspects of the business, from production to distribution. He helped bring Fendi into the US market by securing deals with major department stores.

In 2018, Franca Fendi wrote her memoirs titled "Sei Con Me" or "You Are With Me ". in English, which she credits her grandchildren for always begging her to tell stories about her life.

The book, published by Rizzoli, was punctuated with anecdotes about his private and professional life, his relationship with her sisters and her husband. "A feeling that transcends time, space and survives everything because in an unstable world of glitter and privilege like the reality I live in, my true and only privilege for me was to meet you," Fendi wrote, addressing her late husband.

She is survived by her four children Guido, Andrea, Luca and Federica, former creative director of the Fendissime line and now co-founder and manager of the Triple F vintage resale platform.