Italian Job: Fendi's New Fragrance

A juxtaposition of old and new, Fendi's headquarters in Rome is, quite literally, palatial—it was built in the seventeenth century as a home for nobles visiting the pope. Inside, the atmosphere is one of hushed reverence. Respect for the history of the building, perhaps? Evidently, it's more than that: A security guard whispers, "Scusi, apologies, it is very quiet because Karl Lagerfeld is here right now." A Fendi representative chimes in, "He's here to review all the sketches for 2012." Sacred ground, indeed.

The occasion for Teen Vogue's little Roman holiday was Fendi's launch of a signature scent, Fan di Fendi. The fragrance boasts a sweet but sophisticated blend of fruits (pear, black currant, tangerine), spice (pink peppercorn), flowers (rose and jasmine), and a secret ingredient: an earthy touch of leather. "The perfume is inspired by Fendi's handbag heritage," says Silvia Venturini Fendi, who oversees the bag designs (while Lagerfeld creates the ready-to-wear collection). In homage to the handbags, the logo on the face of the bottle is a reference to the Forever buckle on the Baguette bag (launched by Silvia in 1997); the black cap, a nod to Fendi's Peekaboo bag (introduced in 2009). "Even the colors of black, white, and gold directly connect to the genes of the brand," Silvia explains. "And the name of the fragrance actually has two meanings: that the wearer is a fan of Fendi but also that Fendi is a fan of artists of any age. We support freedom of expression."

At the very least, her support of freedom of architectural expression is clear. Fendi's Roman home base is the stuff Willy Wonka's dreams are made of, a combination of whimsy and exclusivity. The top floor of the palazzo houses its storied fur workshop, a room that has a sweeping vista of the city but also has a frosted-glass door for secrecy—a small golden peephole is the only way to get a glimpse in. On the same level a showroom for coats has a floor made of clear glass—not for the faint of heart (or those with vertigo): A look down provides a view through five stories. It takes a brave girl to traverse the room, but that's no surprise to Silvia: "The Fendi girl is sure of herself," she explains. "She can do anything and believes that nothing is impossible. Even the models we chose [the campaign features Anja Rubik, Abbey Lee Kershaw, and Karmen Pedaru] embody this. They're fans of Fendi, but we're fans of them and of strong girls like them."