Fendi to stage Dawn of Romanity runway show inside ancient Roman Forum

By

Godfrey Deeny

Published
Jun 25, 2019

Fendi is to stage a giant couture runway show inside the ancient forum of Rome, in a homage to the house’s late designer Karl Lagerfeld, and to the luxury marque’s bond with the Eternal City.

 
Scheduled for Thursday, July 4, the show will be staged on the Palatine Hill, the political center of ancient Imperial Rome, and the most central of the city’s Seven Hills, from where the term palace stems. The collection will feature 54 looks, the same number of years that Karl Lagerfeld designed for the house. Some 600 guests are expected at the Palatino, which offers 360-degree views of the Italian capital.
 
The Rome-based fashion and fur house also announced plans to compete the restoration of the Temple of Venus and Rome, which lies just east of the Colosseum, with a gift of €2.5 million in financing.

Back in 2013, Fendi financed the restoration of the Trevi Fountain, the city’s most famous water source, made legendary by Anita Ekberg in Fellini’s Dolce Vita. In this latest project, Fendi’s financing will go towards restoring the famed colored marble walls, wall surfaces and stucco of the apse vault of the temple.
 
“Bringing our couture to Rome is the best way to celebrate Karl Lagerfeld, Fendi and its city, a unique opportunity to express our roots, bold creativity and the highest savoir faire, which have always been a part of the house’s DNA. The Palatino Hill is a magical venue, perfectly representing the values of Fendi, its tradition and its history. I am also very proud of the restoration of the Temple of Venus and Rome, thus continuing to support cultural heritage, not only of Rome and Italy, but of the whole world,” said Fendi CEO Serge Brunschwig in a release.
 
Construction of the temple began under the Emperor Hadrian in 121 A.D., and was completed 20 years later. The temple housed the statue of Venus, the goddess of Rome. It has even been the site of a runway show; when Valentino staged one of his innumerable farewell shows in July 2007 at the temple.
 
“Thanks to Fendi, the largest known temple of ancient Rome, dedicated to Rome Aeterna and Venus Felix, will be returned to its former glory,” added Alfonsina Russo, director of the Colosseum Archaeological Park.