Fendi has opened an immersive pop-up retail experience in Sibuya, Tokyo. The activtion highlights the house’s Selleria, or saddlery, techniques, emphasizing the house’s craft heritage and its history of bringing innovation and cross-disciplinary thinking to leather working for its iconic handbags.
Instigated by Fendi founder Adele Fendi – Silvia Venturini Fendi’s grandmother – the Selleria was one of her initial projects for the leather goods of the House. Determined to work with Rome’s master saddlers in an unconventional way, Adele Fendi realized this wish with the Selleria’s original incarnation almost a century ago. Utilizing handcrafting passed down through generations, manually stitched wax thread, and distinctly grained Cuoio Romano leather, the Selleria then differs little from the Selleria now.
We are exploring the ‘pillars’ of our house as we approach the centenary in 2025 – the Selleria is one of the most important. It shows the roots of the house with leather goods, the importance of craft, with the prominence of the saddle stitch on bags and clothing. In many ways, it shows what we are and who we are.”
– Silvia Venturini Fendi, Fendi Artistic Director of Accessories and Menswear
The immersive pop-up will exhibit a selection of pieces from the newest Spring 2024 Collection, but also showcase the making-of process of the Maison’s iconic Peekaboo bag handcrafted by the house’s leather craftsmen. Artisans directly from the Fendi factory in Capannuccia, Tuscany, will visit Japan and hold a workshop which enables the clients to immerse themselves in an experience of the craftsmanship after a pre-purchase of a Selleria DIY kit.
In tandem with the opening, a special film will be released in which the actor and member of J-Pop group Snow Man, Ren Meguro – who is currently serving as the house’s menswear ambassador for Japan – visits the Fendi Factory and explores the house’s craftsmanship and artisanal processes.
