Fendi's Alchemy

As the mind behind the renowned Fendi baguette, and now the new customisable version of the Peekaboo bag, it's no surprise that Silvia Venturini Fendi knows what gives accessories the got-to-have factor.

"It's alchemy," the designer told us this morning as we previewed the new Fendi flagship store on New Bond Street - all soft carpets and artfully designed furniture, displays of gorgeous shoes and walls of the aforementioned bags, all bright, bejewelled and embroidered.

"It's when you see something you can't leave without. I'm not a shopaholic so it's difficult for me to think 'I need this'," she said, explaining that her creative process usually starts out with thinking about how she doesn't actually need anything. Then she thinks about things that are missing and it builds from there. "What do I need? Sometimes it's very stupid. I ask myself a lot of questions," she said, pointing out that she never looks at what others do, instead staying committed and working every day in her own Fendi world.

Silvia Venturini Fendi

Among some of her most popular creations has been the monster keyring - a fuzzy little critter that you'll see dangling joyfully from many a bag.

"I had been on a beautiful holiday in Brazil with one of my best friends," she explained of its inception - the colours inspired by the tropical birds she saw there. "We thought let's do something fun, we wanted something light. It's an anti-stress and it's like a little friend," she described, likening it to being a guardian of the handbag.