Fendi has long been one of cinema's favoured costumiers, dressing leading ladies in scene-stealing furs. From Madonna in Evita and Michelle Pfeiffer in The Age of Innocence through to the sublime Isabelle Huppert in Lady of the Camelias and the slightly ridiculous Gwyneth Paltrow in The Royal Tenenbaums, all have delivered iconic dramatic turns in Fendi, occasionally to Oscar-winning effect.
'Cinema has always been an important part of our family life and our brand,' says Silvia Venturini Fendi. 'I remember as a little girl, film screenings were events in their own right. The cinema would enter our house, we would set up a white screen and the whole event would be met with a religious silence. We have worked alongside the greatest directors of yesterday and today, from Luchino Visconti to Wes Anderson, from Martin Scorsese to Giuseppe Tornatore, and we will continue to do so.'
Fendi is now celebrating its cinematic CV with an exhibition at Milan's Cinema Manzoni, one of the world's loveliest little movie houses. Designed by Mario Cavallè in 1947, the cinema has been closed since 2006 but is reopening for the Fendi presentation.
'Making Dreams: Fendi and the Cinema' - aptly timed to open during Milan Fashion Week - is curated by design duo Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda, the team behind the acclaimed 'Valentino: Master of Couture' exhibition. The pair have artfully co-ordinated costumes and film clips and screenings, including Visconti's Conversation Piece, starring the statuesque Silvano Mangano in Fendi furs. The film, newly restored by Fendi for the exhibition, is accompanied by a new documentary about the making of the director's late masterpiece.
The cinema has been divided into seven themed areas for the exhibition, created with fantastical temporary architecture, including triumphal arches, amphitheatres and glass walkways and, at its heart, a flower-shaped pavilion with video screens playing some of Fendi's starring roles.
'Making Dreams' coincides with the opening of Fendi's palatial new store on nearby Via Montenapoleone, designed by Gwenaël Nicolas. Housed in the 16th century Palazzo Carcassola-Grandi, the two-storey boutique pays tribute to the brand's Roman roots with lashings of Travertine marble, leather, bronze and stone, and features The Baguette Wall, made up of 40,000 bronze spikes, and a room dedicated to its Selleria collection which offers a made-to-order service. There is also an installation by Italian artists Nucleo, a specially commissioned video piece by Patrick Jean, photography by Karl Lagerfeld and carpets designed by American artist Haynes Robinson, while the VIP room promises calm and Gio Ponti armchairs.
A sketch of the 'Making Dreams: Fendi and the Cinema' exhibition, which sees the cinema divided into seven themed areas, created with fantastical temporary architecture, including triumphal arches, amphitheatres and glass walkways
Curators Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda have artfully co-ordinated costumes and film clips and screenings, including Visconti's Conversation Piece, starring the statuesque Silvano Mangano in Fendi furs
The first area of the show is the Snowdon and Fendi space, which acts as an introduction. It features the images of a photo session featuring the five Fendi sisters taken by the British photographer, which turn into a video animation, combined with a brief history of the brand
A glass walkway takes visitors to the second area, dedicated to Silvana Mangano. Here, a circular, raised screen projects images from the restored film Gruppo di famiglia in un interno
Also in the same space are four mannequins that reproduce Mangano’s unmistakeable profile and are dressed in the costumes featured in the film created by Fendi at the time
The third area, entitled Fendi Stars, is the core of the show. It comprises a flower-shaped pavilion filled with video screens projecting extracts from some of the movies Fendi created costumes and accessories for, displayed in the air like floating elements. They surround the furs that starred in the film
On the ground floor is the Amphitheatre zone, where visitors can watch the film created especially for the exhibition, shot at Cinecittà Studios
Patrick Kinmonth and Antonio Monfreda's film brings to life some of the furs in the exhibition
A still from the film
The Mapping Fendi area is where the special effects used in the cinema world and in the fur world combine in a film, for which a white fur is used as a screen
'Making Dreams' coincides with the opening of Fendi's palatial new store, designed by Gwenaël Nicolas, on nearby Via Montenapoleone
The two-storey boutique is housed in the 16th century Palazzo Carcassola-Grandi
The design pays tribute to the brand's Roman roots, with lashings of Travertine marble, leather, lacquer, bronze and stone. Pictured, is the fur room
A video piece by French artist Patrick Jean acts as a backdrop to the store, while an installation by Turin-based artists Nucleo - featuring amber resin pixels - covers a column
The Made-to-Order space, where clients can personalise the Anna and Adele styles of the Selleria line, in addition to the Peekaboo and Baguette bags
The Baguette collection is presented on a wall composed of 40,000 bronze spikes
The spikes envelop the bags
A limited edition of five Baguettes, featuring inserts of silver fox, were created specially for the store
A wall dedicated to Fendi silks
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