Family, the cultural continuity between generations, and power – all have been central to the spirit of Salvatore Ferragamo. It is a quiet power that distinguishes the house, a power Paul Andrew and Guillaume Meilland explore for Autumn/Winter 2019 and figure into the zeitgeist as an antidote to its pervasive unrest. The revelation comes in a kaleidoscopic display of identity and all its nuance: impossible to characterize in one attitude or gesture, their men and women refuse easy definitions and instinctively embrace a politics of togetherness. 

Patchworks of suede, nappa, snake and lizard in women’s accessories and ready-to-wear speak to this prevailing notion of multiplicity and allude to Mr. Ferragamo’s ubiquitous multicolor patchwork wedge of 1942. The same symbolic tactic is echoed in archival scarf prints in modern patchwork on silk twill. Fringed cashmere blanket coats, sensual leather robes, sportswear in Japanese technical wool and hand-knit textured sweaters convey a natural, unstudied luxury. The Gancini monogram jacquard, a new signature, visually locates the collection in a place and time without needing to tiredly assert a heritage. 

Tailored garments imagined with an outdoor sensibility frame the menswear proposal. Deerskin, corduroy and technical wool gabardine give jackets and outerwear presence and gravitas. Engineered shapes and utilitarian trims are essential features both of design and end-use. The new suit is three-button, soft-shouldered, the lapel widened, in traditional British and Italian cloths. 

Shoes not only importantly anchor the collection looks; they are the fundamental ingredients of the Ferragamo formula. Sculptural heels appear in bright suedes, nipped-point toe stilettos in satin with hand-encrusted rhinestone straps, and pull-on boots in butter calfskin. Nubuck trekking boots and a twist on the classic loafer for men further emphasize the tension between classic and rugged. Handbags in everyday styles are rendered soft and deconstructed in suede and tumbled deerskin or assume singularity as small, handheld objects. 

A new creative horizon at Ferragamo begins to come into focus, with a renewed commitment to crafting innovative products for a generation that sees luxury everywhere and nowhere, and for whom inclusion and authenticity rise as beacons of possibility, hope.