The worlds of fashion and furniture have long been intertwined; both are driven by the delicate interplay of form and function, taken with a healthy dose of innovation and trends. Among the fashion brands that have ventured into homeware over the years is Fendi, with its Fendi Casa collection first introduced in 1988.

Fendi Casa opened its Singapore flagship store at The Rise @ Oxley in July, following launches in Jakarta, Phnom Penh, Seoul and Shanghai. “We’ve always considered Singapore as the hub of Southeast Asia,” says Fashion Furniture Design (FFD) CEO Alberto Da Passano, who was in town for the launch event. “It’s a relevant — very relevant — market, so for us, it was key for us to have a beautiful store here.”

The 468 sq m space is undoubtedly Fendi. Upon entering, one is greeted by a large “FF” logo-emblazoned wall. Next to this is a staircase made of Arabescato Vagli marble, a material often seen in Fendi stores, including the one at Marina Bay Sands. On the second level, floor-to-ceiling glass windows bathe the space in natural light during the day for a “gallery-like” experience.

“For me, the most important thing is coherence with the Fendi brand,” Da Passano tells Options. The store was designed by the Fendi Casa team, under the supervision of the Fendi headquarters architecture department. “People should walk in the door and say, ‘I’m at Fendi’,” Da Passano adds. “The store looks like a Fendi store, the staff treat the clients the same as they would in Fendi stores, and the products have the Fendi flavour.” 

Over the years

Fendi Casa was initially developed and run by Luxury Living Group (LLG) under a licence, which expired in 2021. That was when Fendi decided to change its approach towards its furniture and homeware offerings. FFD was thus born as a joint venture between Fendi and Flos B&B Italia Group, formerly known as Design Holding, to spearhead Fendi Casa’s global growth.

Da Passano, whose career has brought him everywhere in the fashion world, from Gucci to YSL and Moncler, joined Fendi in 2012 as president of its Europe, Middle East and India businesses, while also serving as managing director of licensees. Being familiar with the Fendi Casa licence, he took on the role at FFD when it was established.

“We wanted to make sure there was a perception that Fendi Casa is a consistent part of the Fendi world,” says Da Passano of the decision to manage the furniture business through FFD. He explains that under the previous licensee, the collection had “deviated from the Fendi DNA”, with competing points of sale — including three in Singapore — that did not align with the brand’s strategy. 

The structure now, he adds, has allowed for “an injection of creativity” through partnerships with “a certain number of designers” who bring fresh interpretations of the brand. “The branding is still everywhere, but it is present in a more subtle way…I would say it’s more contemporary and more modern, which is in line with where the brand is today.”

Helming the creative side at the reinvigorated Fendi Casa is Silvia Venturini Fendi, who is also the wider brand’s creative director of accessories, menswear and children. This has facilitated the consistency of Fendi Casa’s direction with the rest of Fendi, Da Passano notes. “At the end of the day, we are a licence of the Fendi brand,” he says. “We need to follow where the brand is going, otherwise we’ll find ourselves with two different brands, and we don’t want that.”

Several new pieces have been added to the collection since FFD was established. Taking elements from the brand’s fashion icons and reinterpreting them for the realm of furniture, these include the Fun Fendi sofa designed by Swiss studio Atelier Oï, and the Peekasit, a sofa inspired by the iconic Peekaboo bag. Other standouts in the collection include the O’Lock vanity, which has a retractable mirror and seat; the rounded piece was inspired by the shape of the logo from which it takes its name.

Speaking on what makes Fendi Casa distinct from others in the luxury furniture segment, Da Passano says that while “standing out” per se isn’t quite the brand’s intent, it’s the little things that make a difference. “There are a lot of very good furniture makers. With us, I think people look for the special details, the special touches that make our products unique compared to others in the market.”

By and large, the refreshed Fendi Casa collection is subtle, with most references to brand tropes being less obvious. Among these tropes is the Pequin print, which features strongly in pieces such as the Parsifal sofa and PH Artichoke lamp. Still, logo-lovers will still have pieces to look forward to, with several cushions, fabrics and tablewares bearing the brand’s more instantly recognisable logo and wordmark. 

Having “seen every single piece grow” from conceptualisation to fruition, Da Passano says it is difficult for him to pinpoint a favourite in the current lineup. “There are pieces that I like for different reasons,” he adds, citing as an example the Fun Fendi, which he notes is “very Fendi” for the way it mixes materials.

Thoughtful growth

Da Passano is looking to continue growing Fendi Casa, with a target of about 100 points of sale from the current number of about 50. Possible new openings include Japan, New York, Paris and Dubai. Still, Da Passano aims to keep things narrow. “Fendi Casa used to have about 200 [points of sale], and other brands have 700; we’re never going to be like that,” he adds. 

As its expansion progresses, Fendi Casa is relying on local partners to keep things tailored to individual markets. In Singapore, for instance, it has partnered with Casa AEF, a subsidiary of local furniture retail group Design Capital. “In this business, adaptation is very important,” says Da Passano. “Any adaptation to the local market has to be provided to us by our local partner, who knows very well how things work there.”

Also on the cards for Fendi Casa is to create more pieces. “We need to continue to grow the collection,” says Da Passano, pointing out that while the Fendi Casa name has existed for over 30 years, the new structure has been around for only three. “People are very used to a very wide collection from Fendi Casa,” he notes, referring to the old lineup. “We’ve had to start from scratch, so we are rebuilding the collection, and we’ll continue to do so for a while.” 

Da Passano adds that while a “major effort was made to bring the collection up to a certain level” at the outset, the focus now is to be “more selective in introducing things that are more precise”. While he’s cheekily tight-lipped on specific products that we can look forward to in the coming months, he notes there are still “certain categories” the current collection is missing items for, and that the Fendi Cucine line of kitchen models “needs to be re-adapted”.

Ultimately, says Da Passano, the aim of Fendi Casa is not to be “a little accessory part” of the Fendi brand, but to be a serious contender in the furniture business. “Our goal is to become the most important player in the fashion segment of furniture…Our philosophy is not to sell an item, but to sell an experience and something more.” 

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