Carla Fendi, one of the five Italian sisters who transformed their parents' small leather workshop into an international luxury fashion powerhouse, has died at the age of 79, the family said on Tuesday. Fendi, who died late on Monday and was the fourth of the sisters, was the public face of the company famous for its line of colorful "baguette" bags that cost thousands of dollars.

While other members of the family were the creative forces, Carla concentrated on promoting the company brand, whose logo of two F's, one of them upside down and backwards, became an internationally recognized symbol for luxury.