It was meant as a celebration of Lagerfeld’s work – his was the longest tenure of any creative director at a brand in the history of fashion – and of Fendi as the quintessential Roman brand. Instead, it became a bittersweet milestone for Venturini Fendi, who has known Lagerfeld since she was a child and considered him not only a work partner but a member of the Fendi clan.

When he died, the show’s starting point changed. Venturini Fendi found herself looking back at some of his greatest creations for Fendi and at the history of ancient Rome, which informed the 54 looks (an homage to Lagerfeld's years at the fashion house) presented.

“With Karl, it was never just one inspiration, never so easy, so I thought I should also put something from me,” Venturini Fendi said. “We’re a Roman house, I’m a Roman and we’re in Rome, so let’s try to add something about Rome without being too literal.

“I came here with archaeologists and they told me that on this hill in ancient times the most beautiful Roman villas were here because emperors chose this place that looked over the city. So I saw a lot of images, some reconstructions, of these beautiful houses, and all these mosaics and details were the starting point to bring [something of ancient Rome] to the collection.

“I thought that the best homage to Karl was not to be too nostalgic. I avoided too many references to the archives, but I did look at them and selected some things but in a free way.”

The collection marks a new chapter for Fendi. “My vision is to continue to respect the heritage, because you have to write the future, but also think about the past,” Venturini Fendi explains. “This is something that I know very well because I’m a Roman. I’m not Karl’s clone, so maybe a feminine point of view will be different, but I really want my collections to be Fendi – that’s my goal.

“I think that I know Fendi quite well and I also want to push boundaries, because with Karl we always liked to do that and never repeat ourselves.”

While Venturini Fendi has always been quite private and never shared much about her relationship with Lagerfeld, she recalled the countless visits he made to Rome, to which he commuted from his base in Paris.

“When Karl used to come here, especially the first years, before he had to divide his time between Fendi and Chanel, he had a house in Rome, so he was spending a lot of time here and I think that being in Rome for him was a sense of holiday,” says Venturini Fendi. “He was an adopted Roman but also a tourist, because he was always taking photos, walking around with his Polaroid cameras and waking up early in the morning and going to places like Villa Adriana in Tivoli.

“He also liked the freedom and relaxed vibe of Rome … He used to say that in Paris people stopped him everywhere but in Rome people were more respectful, and perhaps a bit scared to approach him. I have many beautiful memories of free time with him, not just work.”

Fendi is known for its bestselling leather goods, shoes and bags, but it started out as a furrier and will not stop using fur any time soon.

“We’re not ready to say, like many other brands, that we won’t use fur any more, because it’s part of our tradition and if one day we do that, then we will stop working with exotic skins and even leather – it’s a very serious issue and not just a marketing tool,” says Venturini Fendi. “I don’t see any difference between fur and crocodile. I don’t get it.”

She points out that Fendi’s new couture collection includes a number of looks made using high-end materials such as cashmere treated to look like fur; since cashmere is a natural fibre, she explains it's more sustainable than synthetic fur. She also mentions two outfits made of upcycled fur, old Fendi pelts that the house reworked to give them a contemporary look.

Fendi has also begun offering a service to customers who wish to bring in old furs and have them adapted for reuse.

“Fur is a very long-lasting material and very precious, like jewellery. You can always melt gold and reuse diamonds; you don’t throw them away. Fur is also a noble material and doesn’t need much washing with water, which is good for the environment, and is totally natural and biodegradable. So maybe one day you’ll understand that it’s not so bad because the alternatives right now are not the ones that we want to use – but we’re always looking for solutions.”

The clock is ticking and the models backstage are almost ready to head down the catwalk.

“I’ve been working with more energy than before because this collection is an homage to Karl and is dedicated to him, not only from me but from all the people working in the atelier,” says an emotional Venturini Fendi as she prepares to apply the finishing touches.

“We want to show how much we learned from such a genius master.”