Fay was founded from an idea by Diego and Andrea Della Valle. In 1987, in Scituate, Massachusetts, they purchased the company that manufactured jackets for American firefighters, immediately importing them into Italy. In the early 90s, the iconic 4 Ganci was the cult item worn by celebrities and industry leaders, it became one of the first examples of workwear to be worn over a formal suit.
2019 saw the launch of Fay Archive, the project that restored the brand's DNA and its focus on workwear style. Constantly looking for workers to try out their jackets, in 2020 Fay Archive kicked off the TESTERS project: a series of features in the most remote corners of the planet - from Alaska to the Himalayas - in which women and men talk about their experiences in close contact with harsh and wild nature.