THE SHOE FITS

Ferragamo women’s footwear designer Paul Andrew is taking the iconic brand to new style heights.

FERRAGAMO WOMEN’S FOOTWEAR DESIGNER PAUL ANDREW IS TAKING THE ICONIC BRAND TO NEW STYLE HEIGHTS. BY CAMILLE CAUTI

Beloved for dainty bowed pumps as well as sexy stilettos, Salvatore Ferragamo is making an appeal to younger customers while maintaining the craftsmanship so important to its loyal clientele. To that end, the 90-year-old familyrun Florentine luxury house brought in 38-year-old Englishman Paul Andrew— a CFDA/ Vogue Fashion Fund award winner and designer of his own eponymous label—as its first women’s footwear director last fall. “My intention is to create shoes that make a woman not only look beautiful, confident, and strong,” says Andrew, “but feel beautiful, confident, and strong.”

He began by studying Ferragamo archives dating from the 1930s through the ’50s. “I reconsidered the proportions, the make, and fabrication, and made them relevant for today,” Andrew says. The sculptural “flower” heel, used for pumps and sandals since 1939, is one example: Andrew reimagined it in a galvanized metal finish applied in an Italian automotive factory. As for those dainty bows, he says, “We’ve updated the Varina

ballerina flat by using technical nylon webbing instead of traditional silk grosgrain ribbon—a nod to the high-tech, high-craft concept.”

And ladies, Andrew gets you. “When I started my namesake brand,” he says, “I did a study of 500 women from all over the world and looked at what they really needed for a shoe to be practical, comfortable, and desirable.” So when asked to take sides on the eternal fashion dichotomy of comfort or style, Andrew doesn’t. “Both,” he says. “Undoubtedly both.” Americana Manhasset, 2016 Northern Blvd., 516-3659765; ferragamo.com

“I LOOKED AT WHAT WOMEN NEEDED FOR A SHOE TO BE PRACTICAL, COMFORTABLE, AND DESIRABLE.” — PAUL ANDREW