Text by Mala Vaishnav

Walking home one evening after work, the senior Fendi manager found himself being suddenly accosted by a street salesman thrusting a faux Zucca Baguette under his nose. Deciding to indulge the boy, he examined the handbag closely and asked, "How much?" When the price was revealed and he politely demurred, the boy pointed to the Palazzo Fendi down a few blocks and said indignantly, "Do you know what the original costs?" The venerable manager smiled, "I do, I work there," and handing the bag back to the now startled boy, patted him gently, saying, "Keep up the quality!"

As our small group languorously makes its way through the swishy, five-storeyed (inclusive of ground floor) Palazzo Fendi, nuggets such as these drop in our path, while we absorb retail design guru, Peter Marino's inimitable concept of luxury. Standing tall at the crossroads of three famous streets in the heart of Rome's city centre, the world's largest Fendi store and the company's headquarters, is encased in the same travertine stone that supports the weather-beaten, plundered Colosseum. The passages, leading into the courtyard, off a second side entrance, are paved with black san pietrini, the traditional cobblestones that have borne the velocity of carriage wheels and horses' hooves in Rome's ancient history.

Predictably, the sprawling, glass-enveloped ground floor is handbag haven. Gold brushed, laser-cut travertine walls ripple like broad ribbons, overseeing a collection of the finest handcrafted signature pieces - the jewel-like Baguette, the beaded Spy, the lilac Chef, the traditional tote and the new hot-sellers from Silvia Venturini Fendi's drawing board, the Palazzo Fendi 'bucket bag', reminiscent of the Garibaldi tambourines and the B Bag, flaunting patent blue leather, orange-gold stitching and oversized buckles. And then, there are the shoes...in vibrant colours, sizes and heels, many embellished with the famed Fendi rosette.

"Fashion is all about seeking imperfection; it's about being unique," says 48-year-old Michael Burke, CEO, Fendi, as we later sip aperitifs and nibble on crackers, while leaning against a centuries-old restored banister, dramatically lit by Marino's indulgence - a vintage chandelier that drops down 24 feet in frosted Murano glass splendour, showcasing the outline of the double F logo. Inside, in another large space, the buzz of the Spring/Summer 2007 pre collection is apparent from the steady flow of big buyers with bigger bucks. Store orders are discreetly placed as leather and fabric, drapes and silhouettes are being weighed for individual preferences and head-turning attention.

A meal at the legendary Maccheroni on the Piazza delle Coppelle is an authentic Italian experience of full-bodied Tuscan wines, a creamy medley of hand-rolled pastas and conversation, that turns us quite light-headed! Cristiana Torre, leathergoods director for Fendi since several years, enlightens me on Rome's legacy of popes, patricians and paramours, even as she speaks about the importance of family bonding and the average Roman's fascination for aristocracy. Gabriella Moncada Di Paterno, Fendi store director, is married to one such. New York-raised and educated, she cycles to office every morning, her Fendi Spy, tucked neatly behind. "Some of us have to earn a living," she shrugs, evincing a round of high octane laughter from the table. Silvia Fendi, active representative of the third generation of the dynastic tableau, has begged off from the party as Karl Lagerfeld has swooped into town and they have work to do.

Rome-born, Silvia, was four years old when the then fledgling, German designer, Karl Lagerfeld, was invited by the five Fendi sisters to help take charge of the creative reins of the company in 1965. Silvia's mother, Anna and her four aunts had inherited a family business that savoured a spiralling expansion in workshops and profits, post the great war. Edoardo and Adele Fendi's modest leather and fur shop, founded in 1925, was going places. While the painstakingly crafted handbags continued to be a source of joy to quality-conscious fashionistas, Fendi's fur line underwent a dramatic change under Lagerfeld's direction. The bulky, opulent status symbols were reinterpreted into lightweight, super stylish pièces de résistance. Experimentation with new tanning methods and dyes came into being and furs were now treated like fabric: cut, woven, inlayed.

In 1966, Fendi presented its first haute couture collection, to a standing ovation, with overseas markets, predominantly Japan and the US, taking notice. A decade later, Fendi launched its ready-to-wear. And in the early '80s, followed predictably, the gloves, ties, jeans, sunglasses, even home furnishings….In 2004, the LVMH group bought over the company, and last year when Fendi turned 80, the Palazzo opened its swanky premises in Rome.

We are at Palazzo Fendi's fur atelier inspecting a cottonwool soft, honey and grey mink coat. Its nipped waist, exaggerated braided sleeves and curvy foulard collar does Lagerfeld's sketch (pinned alongside) proud. Chinchilla and ermine flaps are spread out on the workstations, ready to be matched, shade for shade, cut to an exact size and hand stitched with loving care. Tiny bits of waste fur, instead of going into the bin, appear as signature motifs on party shoes or on feathery light scarves and stoles. Hollywood, being an obvious endorser, with the likes of Jennifer Lopez, Nicole Kidman and Madonna, flaunting their sables in full world view, Fendi has, at times, had to fob off unwanted attention from anti-fur lobbies. "We are very particular about using fur from reputed firms and from strictly farmed animals," says Philippe Fortunato, managing director, Fendi. "It's akin to being non vegetarian, a personal, individual way of life."

Treading carefully on glass stairs that lead to a canopied terrace, where a champagne and candlelight dinner awaits us, another 'inhouse' nugget reaches my ears. Minutes before the doors were about to open at the inauguration of Fendi's New York store on Fifth Avenue last winter, a Fendi director, noticing balls of fluff on the carpet, quickly went down on her knees with broom and dust pan. It was with this novel paraphernalia in her hands, that she was introduced to hotshot guest, Sidney Toledano, president, Christian Dior Couture. Completely embarrassed, she shrank away from his vision, for the rest of the evening, but was later assured that he had commended this commitment to perfection. Adele Fendi would have also approved. Because she always believed that Fendi is more than just a beautifully crafted handbag.