Salvatore Ferragamo, a company founded by the designer of the same name, is today one of the biggest luxury brands in the world. Know your story.
Salvatore Ferragamo was an Italian shoe designer, founder of one of the biggest luxury brands in the world, which bears his name. Therefore, when talking about Italian fashion, it is impossible not to mention the name of Ferragamo, who made history in the world of fashion. In this way, he created iconic shoes, launched trends and fitted some of the biggest Hollywood stars of the 1920s.
Proof of Salvatore Ferragamo's impact on fashion is that even today, more than 60 years after his death, his brand remains one of the most acclaimed in the world. His lineage made a point of continuing the designer's legacy and dream, of producing products with excellence and elegance.
Currently, the Salvatore Ferragamo brand, in addition to classic shoes, also operates in the segment of luxury accessories and perfumes, always following the standard established by the brand's founder.
Therefore, today we will learn a little more about the history of Salvatore Ferragamo and the founding of his brand.
The story of Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo was born on June 5, 1898, in a rural village called Bonito, in Florence, Italy. The boy grew up in a rural environment, but still showed talent and interest in creating things, his true calling.
So, at the age of nine, little Salvatore made his first shoe. The motivation came after seeing one of her sisters crying because she didn't have shoes to wear for her first communion. So, the boy made a shoe for his sister and never stopped creating.
Certain of his passion, the boy looked for ways to improve himself, and at the age of 11 he moved to Naples, so he could study more about the art of shoemaking. In this way, he became an apprentice to shoemaker Luigi Festa, his mentor and master, who taught him the basic techniques of creating shoes.
So, he stayed for a year and then decided to return to his hometown to put everything he learned into practice. Therefore, Salvatore Ferragamo opened a small shoe shop in his parents' house, where in addition to repairs, the boy made boots for local farmers. It didn't take long for him to also start creating women's shoes, which would be his main focus from now on.
Salvatore Ferragamo's first shoe store
So, at the age of 14, young Salvatore already had six assistants on his team, serving not only city residents, but also clients from neighboring cities. From this, the boy realized that he could win over many more people with his work, and decided to seek growth elsewhere. It was then, in 1914, at the age of 16 that Ferragamo decided to move to the United States to join his brother, who worked in an American boot store.
Upon arriving in Boston, Ferragamo was disappointed with the quality of the shoes produced there, which became an additional incentive for him to invest in his talent. Soon after, he and his brother moved to Santa Barbara, California, more specifically in Hollywood.
Among the main film studios, Ferragamo was in the right place, and it was a matter of time before his small clothing and repair shop became a success. Therefore, in 1923, Salvatore opened the first store on American soil, the Hollywood Boot Shop, and began to dress the main stars of the time, such as Marilyn Monroe, Sophia Loren, Carmen Miranda, Greta Garbo, among others.
In this way, it is no coincidence that Ferragamo became known as the “shoemaker to the stars” or the “shoemaker of dreams”. All this due to the exceptional quality of its handmade shoes, which combine creativity in models and materials with comfort and elegance.
Business expansion
However, despite the success of his store in the United States, in 1927 Salvatore Ferragamo decided to return to Italy. There, he began making shoes for elite Italian women such as Eva Peron, Queen of Cooch Behar and several others. So that year he founded a workshop in Via Mannelli, and began exploring new design ideas.
At the beginning of the 40s, the designer was experiencing one of his most creative and innovative phases. It was at this time that he created the iconic cork wedge heel model. Soon afterwards he became the owner of a large building in Florence, the Palazzo Spini Feroni, where he opened a shop. It was the real beginning of the expansion of his business worldwide, as that same year, Ferragamo opened two more stores, one in London and the other in Rome.
At that time, his fame spread throughout Europe, and his store in Florence became a reference point for haute couture, being the favorite of several international celebrities.
What set Salvatore Ferragamo apart, in addition to the comfort and elegance of his shoes, was the use of unconventional materials. He used as raw materials, from luxurious materials such as exotic skins, to cheaper ones, such as cork, cellophane, straw, hemp and synthetic materials.
Iconic shoe models
In 1947, Salvatore Ferragamo won the first important award of his career, the “Neiman Marcus Award”, for his creation, the “Invisible Sandal”. This one didn't please women so much at the time, but nowadays it's very popular.
In 1951, he held his first fashion show in Florence, and launched “Kimo”, a sandal with interchangeable socks. Soon after, the designer created one of his most iconic models of all time, the suede ballerina shoe with strap. The creation was custom-made for Hollywood star Audrey Hepburn. Obviously, the shoe became a success, a classic in women's wardrobe to this day.
Death of Salvatore Ferragamo
By 1957, Salvatore Ferragamo had designed around 20,000 shoes and patented at least 340 models. However, Salvatore died on August 7, 1960, at the age of 62 due to cancer. However, despite the death of the brand's founder and main designer, the company continued Ferragamo's legacy, now managed by his wife, Wanda Ferragamo Miletti.
After his death, Salvatore had two wishes, the first was for his children to continue his business, and the second was for them to produce products other than shoes. So, the designer's wife and children continue with their dream of expanding the brand even further and leaving their name in world fashion.
Salvatore and Wanda had a total of six children, and they all inherited their father's desire for perfection. Therefore, they followed the artist's concept, maintaining artisanal production and diversifying the brand's operations. Today, the company is still managed by the designer's children and grandchildren, who do everything they can to maintain the level of perfection that Ferragamo dreamed of achieving.
Therefore, from the 1960s onwards, the Salvatore Ferragamo brand also began producing glasses, accessories, bags, watches, clothes and perfumes, and became known worldwide not just for its shoes.
Salvatore Ferragamo Legacy
After Salvatore's death in 1967, his daughter Fiamma di Dan Giuliano received the “Neiman Marcus Award”, the same award given to her father two decades earlier. And his brand continued to innovate and create trends, in addition to also starting to produce men's clothing.
Based on the designer's history of success, in 1995 the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum was opened, dedicated to telling the brand's story. This one that became a landmark in the international fashion industry, and that even today, more than 60 years since the designer's death, continues to maintain its position.
Therefore, Salvatore's legacy continues to live as ever, proving as relevant as when his brand began. Today, the brand is managed by Guillaume Meilland, who takes care of the brand's men's sector, and Paul Andrew behind the women's line.
Despite adapting to modern and irreverent collections, the brand's identity, the one that gave Salvatore Ferragamo a place in fashion history, remains the same. Therefore, Salvatore Ferragamo continues to prioritize style and elegance, without giving up comfort.
Anyway, what did you think of this article? In fact, take the opportunity to also check out Louboutin – Success story of the red-soled shoe brand.
Sources: Inside Fashion Farfetch Fashion Bubbles Single Label
Images: First Class Universo Retro Unique Label Inexhibit NeoFeed Fashion BubblesUnique Label
