In collaboration with Convergence, VOICE OF ASIA is proud to present timeless articles from the archives, reproduced digitally for your reading pleasure. Originally published in Convergence Volume 14 in 2012, we present this story on Salvatore Ferragamo and the icon who birthed the brand.
The story of Cinderella has been told time and time again. Girl gets glass slippers and goes to the ball with them on, but then she loses said slippers. Imagine if you will, if Cinderella had on a pair of Salvatore Ferragamo slippers instead. The only question on any Ferragamo fan’s mind would be: did she jog, run or sprint to get that missing slipper back?
The Early Years
No stranger to the fashion scene, Salvatore Ferragamo’s rise to success is a testament to his creative spark, keen business eye and fortitude. Born in 1898, in the village of Bonito, near Naples, Italy, the eleventh child out of fourteen started out young. The magic began when he was nine years old and made his first pair of shoes for his sisters to wear to their Confirmation – a rite of initiation in Christian churches. At the age of 11, he was apprenticed to a shoemaker in Naples and two years later, he opened his very own shop in his hometown.
Ferragamo made his way to Boston in 1914 to join his brother who was working at a cowboy boot factory. There, he gained insight into the quality limitations of modern machines and work procedures. Later, as the Twenties rolled around, Salvatore convinced his brother to move with him to California and finally he made his way to Hollywood. Tinseltown embraced Ferragamo and his boutique, the Hollywood Boot Shop became a place of pilgrimage for the who’s who of Hollywood.
In 1927, the Salvatore Ferragamo Company made its debut in Florence, Italy, after Ferragamo returned home from the United States. Housing himself in a city traditionally rich in quality craftsmanship, he began to create shoes for the most influential women of the century. Ferragamo also opened a workshop in the Via Mannelli, experimenting with design as well as applying for patents for ornamental and utility models among his other creations.
A Brief Descend
It was not long before dark clouds loomed over the Salvatore Ferragamo Company. In the year 1929, the stock market crashed and interrupted their relationship with the American market, forcing the company to close. This did not deter Ferragamo, as he then shifted his focus to the national market. Although Ferragamo had to file for bankruptcy in 1933 because of economic pressures, business began to flourish again by the year 1936.
Ferragamo went on to rent two workshops in Palazzo Spini Feroni in Via Tornabuoni, and it was during this period that the designer created some of his most celebrated work including his famous wedge heel design. Then 1938 saw the opening of the first “Salvatore Ferragamo” single-brand directly-operated boutiques in Florence and Rome as well as in London. This was the same year that Ferragamo bought Palazzo Spini Feroni for Lira 3.4 million and located his Florence boutique there.
Cinema-savvy Designs
Marking his return to the world of cinema, Ferragamo was the mastermind behind the iconic ruby red slippers worn by Judy Garland in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Among his other accolades, Ferragamo won the illustrious “Neiman Marcus Award”, fashion’s equivalent to an Oscar in 1947, with his “Invisible Sandal”. This iconic shoe had an upper formed by a transparent nylon thread, a style that has become classic in footwear today. Stiletto lovers have Ferragamo to thank too, as the designer invented the heel using a special metal pin after studying a support ‘pillar’.
Ferragamo’s creations flourished in the 50s and made their way to the feet of many celebrities such as Audrey Hepburn for whom Ferragamo created one of his most famous styles, the suede ballerina shoe with a strap. Other noted clients from that era included Marilyn Monroe and Eva Peron.
The Legacy after Salvatore
The year 1960 marked the passing of Salvatore Ferragamo at the age of 62. However the Ferragamo dream to “dress a woman from toes to head” lived on through his family. In 1965, his daughter Fiamma Di San Giuliano Ferragamo spearheaded the production of Ferragamo bags, that another daughter, Giovanna Gentile Ferragamo presented with their ready-to-wear collection in the Sala Bianca, Palazzo Pitti.
The Ferragamo name was in the spotlight again when Fiamma received the “Neiman Marcus Award” in 1967, 20 years after her father. Already a long way from their humble beginning, the Ferragamo Group went on to create a bag where the “Gancino” accessory appears for the first time – a small metal clasp used to hook or hang various objects.
During the 1970s and 1980s, The Ferragamo Group expanded its product line when it introduced men’s shoes and clothing into its product range under the care of Salvatore’s son Leonardo. The Group also expanded its markets to include the Far East (Hong Kong and Shanghai). Meanwhile Fulvia Visconti Ferragamo introduced the Ferragamo’s scarves and ties which became a symbol of the company.
The Group further expanded the Ferragamo portfolio by signing an eyewear license with Luxottica and establishing Ferragamo Parfums. In 2006, Ferragamo received BUSINESSthe Rodeo Drive Walk of Style Award for the footprint it left in the history of fashion and cinema. In the following year, the company was on its way to producing and distributing a new collection of high-end time pieces.
Setting the Business Standard
Throughout its years in the business, the Ferragamo brand has always operated with an emphasis on quality. The Group’s aim is to offer its customer’s high quality products with a unique and exclusive design based on a strong craftsmanship tradition. The brand’s unwavering high standards are testament to a style that preserves the strong brand identity, and which is seamlessly interwoven and applied in choosing materials, defining the design, throughout the production processes and even the layout and architecture of the shops and manufacturing facilities.
In Museo Salvatore Ferragamo’s Videocast titled The Salvatore Ferragamo Story, made in 1995 – Wanda Ferragamo, Salvatore’s widow, recalled that Salvatore’s many experiences had taught him that nothing was impossible. He was a perfectionist and it was perfect work that gave him the greatest satisfaction.
Luxury Ignites Progress
Certainly doing justice to his father’s legacy, Salvatore’s eldest son, Ferrucio Ferragamo held the position of Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the Group for 22 years. During his tenure as CEO, he further developed the brand into a global powerhouse with a strong presence in the Asian market. The Ferragamo Group reached its goal of 91 single-brand stores in Greater China after opening the first stores of its kind in Turkey, Qatar, Egypt and South Africa.
Currently at the top of the Salvatore Ferragamo Group as CEO is Michele Norsa. The appointment of this former Valentino CEO was a turning point for the brand as the business has been in the family for 80 years. Success definitely breeds success and the Salvatore Ferragamo brand presented its first jewellery collection created in partnership with Gianni Bulgari in 2011.
Ushering in a new era of famous clients, the Ferragamo brand today, remains as the top choice of Hollywood’s best and brightest. Keeping things fresh are the likes of Angeline Jolie, Eva Mendes, Kate Beckinsale, Rosie Huntington Whiteley, Rihanna, Sarah Jessica Parker, Demi Moore, Meryl Streep, Gerard Butler and Brad Pitt all sporting Ferragamo designs on and off the red carpet. Style maven Lady Gaga also turned heads and magazine pages when she was featured on best-dressed lists all over the world wearing a head-to-toe houndstooth look straight off the runway from the brand’s Fall 2011 collection.
Definitely the top choice for modern day fairy godmothers and Cinderellas everywhere, the Salvatore Ferragamo brand at present features an array of products including footwear, leather goods including handbags, suitcases, belts, wallets and a variety of other men’s and ladies’ accessories, ready-to-wear collections, accessories, perfumes, eyewear and watches, as well as jewellery.
If you have got a knack for looking jetsetter chic, rest assured Salvatore Ferragamo has all your bases covered.
