“W hat is important to me nowadays is to be able to translate the heritage and craftsmanship of Salvatore Ferragamo into a modern language.”
it’s interesting to work on the concept of Italianity. This is something I really want to stress because I feel, being a part of the family business, it is about the integrity of the product. For us, it’s not about numbers, it’s about quality – keeping the tradition, principle, and the DNA of Salvatore Ferragamo. That, to me, is the most important project.”
Salvatore Ferragamo and consequently, Giornetti’s preference to focus on the rich heritage of the house instead of seasonal trends explains how the company reported a six percent increase in its revenue to 1.3 billion Euros at the start of the year. It also explains why Giornetti harkened back to the ’ 30s while the Autumn/Winter ’ 15 runwa runways of Milan Fashion Week were awash with ’80s influences.
““I started from the ’30s because it’s an extremely interesting moment for literature, mus music, and art. It was also the time that Salvatore Ferragamo started his career in Los An Angeles,” says Giornetti about the inspirations behind the collection.
It’s rare for a designer to explain his designs in such clear yet evocative terms. His mention of the Russian artists immediately calls to mind the almost abstract Bauhaus geometry that adorns the collection, balanced with big, perfectly round buttons that r run as a leitmotif throughout the collection. “Patchwork” is also the perfect description of the plush overcoat skilfully constructed with strips of multi-coloured mink, which also finds its form in tabards: “The patchwork is really one of the icons of the Ferragamo world; the love of mixing different materials together. It’s really a part of the language that Salvatore developed during his life and his career.”
Overall, it’s a winning collection that presents familiar elements with subtle twists. As Giornetti readily admits: “Even as a student, I was not the kind who was i into astonishing people with crazy stuff. I was much more focused on construction an and the details.” And these are precisely what wins you over. From the horizontal knit pon ponchos that bounce joyously with every step, to the tweed and leather skirts spliced wit hE with light-as-a-dream chiffon inserts, you can immediately appreciate the cleverness.
Even more fascinating is the way this collection has taken on a more romantic, softer feel w within the confines of the Japanese temple. Concrete walls have given way to ancient wood wooden beams, urbanely dressed Milanese fashion folk to grey suited Japanese business men a and extravagant kimonos. Giornetti himself took his bow in a kimono.
Yet Yet, despite being far removed from its original settings, the showing of the collection felt tho thoroughly at home, illustrating just who Salvatore Ferragamo designs for: The metropo metropolitan woman with an unwavering sense of identity and style. Even the seamless
presentation of the brand's Pre-Spring collection An exhibition at Nijo Castle alongside Autumn’s showed a fluid design narrative.
“What is important to me nowadays is to be able to translate the heritage and craftsmanship of Salvatore Ferragamo into a modern language. It’s no more about a gender or a demographic target. I don’t believe in that,” says Giornetti. “At Ferragamo, it is about the integrity of the product and the principle of Italianity. It’s the fact that at Ferragamo, we still do things with passion. And that is an extremely important message for me.” Massimiliano Giornetti in a kimono for the fashion presentation