Franca Fendi, third of the Fendi sisters, dies at 87

Franca Fendi, the third of the five Fendi sisters who transformed the Roman fashion house into a global luxury brand, died on the night of October 5 at her home in Rome's Camilluccia district at age 87. Born in Rome in 1935, she was the daughter of founders Edoardo Fendi and Adele Casagrande. From a young age, she managed the maison's purchasing and directed the Via Borgognona store, sharing responsibilities with sisters Paola, Anna, Carla, and Alda. Her death comes five years after that of her younger sister Carla Fendi, a philanthropist who founded the Fondazione Carla Fendi and supported the Festival dei Due Mondi in Spoleto. Franca witnessed Fendi's entire evolution, from iconic fur production to global expansion, largely driven by Karl Lagerfeld, who joined as creative director in 1965. She dedicated her career to the company. In 2018, Rizzoli published her memoir "Sei con me. La nostra grande, unica storia d'amore," dedicated to her husband Luigi Formilli, who died in 2001.