Silvia Fendi: Fendi Spirit Lives On

Silvia Venturini Fendi was just four years old when Karl Lagerfeld took the creative reins at her family's fashion house in 1965. Forty years later, Lagerfeld is still around, and so is the sassy Fendi spirit.

"Today, everything has changed, but the spirit of Fendi has remained intact. I like to see something in each product that shows that an intelligent human being has worked on it," Fendi told AFP in an interview.

"My grandmother always said, 'Quality, quality'."

Fendi -- creative director for accessories at the label -- represents the third generation of a fashion dynasty that began in 1925 when her grandparents Edoardo and Adele opened a leather and fur goods shop in Rome.

Silvia's mother Anna and her four sisters -- Alda, Carla, Franca and Paola -- inherited the family business and transformed it into a worldwide style powerhouse known for the quality of its products and its innovative technique.

It was the five Fendi sisters that brought Lagerfeld, then a rising star, into the Fendi fold to develop its women's ready-to-wear line. Today, the German designer is a style guru, designing Fendi, Chanel and his own line.

French luxury goods group LVMH bought a stake in Fendi -- still known today for its glamorous furs and handbags -- in 1999 and took over the brand in 2002.

LVMH chairman Bernard Arnault, wh