Though established as a leather workshop by Adele Casagrande, the Fendi house has made its fundamental mark on the luxury retail sector with its fabulous, couture furs. Today, the dramatic collections Karl Lagerfeld designs for the brand continue to meet vast acclaim from the fashion cognoscenti, but ultimately when all said is done Fendi is all about lavishly opulent, beautifully luxurious high fashion furs.

With the advent of technology Herr Lagerfeld has found scores of new and innovative ways to materialize his designs. Treating a wide variety furs in witty and at times unorthodox ways (like perforating thousands of tiny holes to make coats lighter) the master couturier constantly explores new frontiers. In fact, reviewing Lagerfeld’s fall 2005 collection for Fendi, even the trained eye has a difficult time distinguishing pelts from fabrics. Some jackets are covered with woven meshes; while others have been printed on to resemble damasks. It is only when one touches these divine creations that she or he can commend their true nature.

Only a man bold and inspired enough to create a small zipped bag that unfolds into a calf length fur coat (circa 1993) has the creativity and skill to conceive the kind of stunning Mongolian fur jumpers ,massive collar loden jackets, and suede military coats that bejeweled the Fendi runway this season. Undoubtedly, for the foreseeable future change will be the only constant in Lagerfeld’s work. When it comes to this man, who has broken down all conceivable fashion barriers; simply expect the unexpected.