Fendi Baguette’s ‘Hand in Hand’ project lands in Scotland

Celebrating Scottish textile heritage, the Italian house is partnering with Prickly Thistle to achieve the identifying fabric in the creation of a unique new bag that is part of the Baguette ‘hand in hand’ initiative.

The contemporary tartan design and manufacturing brand based in the Scottish Highlands founded by Claire Campbell and known as Prickly Thistle joins forces with FENDI to implement its philosophy ‘Make less, with natural resources, as close to home as possible, to be appreciated for longer’ to the ‘hand in hand’ initiative.

Conceived in Italy in 2020 and expanded around the world, the grassroots collaboration between FENDI and local artisans highlights the Baguette bag, one of the house’s iconic bags designed by Silvia Venturini Fendi in 1997. This instantly recognisable canvas for perpetual transformation becomes the starting point for ‘hand in hand’, where a diverse group of workshops and atleiers are called upon to interpret it through various local craft techniques and transform it into a true work of art. In addition, the project establishes a strong network of human relationships and has become a crucial step in preserving and transmitting the rare craftsmanship, creativity and savoir-faire of these artisans around the world.

Returning to Scotland, the tartan is one of the most deeply rooted motifs in Scotland, having become a timeless symbol of pride, honour and identity, indicating membership of a clan, company, family or place. The official naming and registration of tartans began in 1815, when clan tartans were identified by what local weavers produced with colours made from natural dyes available in the region. Today, the Scottish Tartan Register continues this tradition while preserving and promoting the special pattern.

Now, FENDI and Prickly Thistle unveil their special meeting in which they worked closely together to define the essential elements to be included in the pattern. The result? A unique tartan that could tell the story of the house and the Fendi family as well as the story of the Scottish clan. The colours have been selected with great precision: the tobacco brown reflects FENDI‘s institutional logo-no-logo in the stripes; while the touches of FENDI yellow identify the house’s heritage. The number five, representing the five Fendi sisters, is included in the design along with the significant dates of FENDI‘s founding year (1925) and the launch of the Baguette (1997) and Peekaboo (2008) bags.