Fendi’s Selleria stitching regains spotlight in the brand’s Spring/Summer 2024 collection
Top threads
In the 1960s, Adele Fendi, the brand’s founder and Silvia Venturini Fendi’s grandmother,
introduced the Selleria handbag. Named after the workshop in Rome where master saddlers
hand-stitched each piece, the bag — defined by the wax thread saddle stitch — soon
expanded into a signature collection, embodying the essence of Italian craftsmanship and
luxury.
“Workmanship is such an important part of our iconography and the Selleria embodies this. It
is part of our Roman roots with its relationship to the master saddlers of the city. Discretion
matters and workmanship does not necessarily require a typical logo; it’s a Fendi signature,
it’s part of our handwriting,” states Silvia Venturini Fendi, the brand’s Artistic Director of
Accessories and Menswear.
Fast forward to today; in the Spring/Summer 2024 collection, the wax thread saddle stitch is
replaced by thicker, leather tone-on-tone variation, the details can now be found not only on
handbags but on ready-to-wear pieces. That said, the spirit of the handcraft remains.
“You take something from the past, work with it and celebrate it. There is a malleability to
history – it is something that you make your own. The Selleria is fundamental to Fendi
history and yet it always looks modern, always now; it connects the past to the present and
the future,” explains Kim Jones, Fendi Artistic Director of Couture and Womenswear.
When it comes to the bags, the Selleria’s Cuoio Romano leather, saddle stitching and
savoir-faire can be found on the well-loved Peekaboo and Baguette (in a myriad of sizes) as
well as the new Mini Fendessence hobo bag, rendered in a rainbow palette of blue, yellow,
vermilion red and signature brown. Take a closer look at the leather separates including
coats, jackets, shorts and pants, and you’ll notice the iconic stitches accenting the collars,
waistbands or front closure.
The Fendi Filo shoes are also given the Selleria treatment, as a new abstract metal thread
incarnation can be found decorating the heels, while a metallic closure that references the
detail on an archival Spring/Summer 2001 sandal embellishes the ankle. Rounding it all up is
the jewellery line, also named Fendi Filo, which features statement earmuffs, extra-long
earrings, soft necklaces and bracelets. The pieces are embellished with gold sewing threads
and a reinterpretation of the signature F letter that showcases the House’s mastery of
materials. The past is made present in the best way possible.
Check out the Fendi Selleria collection here.
