Ferragamo Pre – Spring 2024

For Pre-Spring 2024, Maximilian Davis explores the multi-generational archetypes of the Italian family, refracting the codes of their wardrobes through his particular lens and reconsidering classics with contemporary clarity.

An eclecticism of eras quietly pervades the collection – the nipped waists of the 1940s, the glamorous accents of the 1980s, the minimalism of the 1990s – in accordance with the spirit of a wardrobe assembled over a lifetime. “I was thinking about the timeless, heirloom pieces that you would pass down to your children as well as the pieces that would never date,” Davis continues. Flashes of the Ferragamo archive appear throughout: a twisted rope detail on men’s and women’s sandals is translated from a 1956 shoe; handbag hardware drawn from an 80s Ferragamo lighter excavated from a Christmas catalogue; quilted silhouettes adopted from a 1999 runway collection. Equally, the language Davis has established at the brand appears omnipresent, from the slash detailing piped across tracksuits to the mid-century couture silhouettes informing cropped bombers. The appearance of high-shine patent boots and sandals, deep-cut necklines and extremely-cropped shorts subverts tradition: a fetishistic touch of taboo within the family setting.

Fabrications appear key in updating the spirit of heritage with an exacting edge: the characteristics of natté wool, lightweight but distinctly structured, imbue both tailoring and sportswear with a distinct silhouette; elsewhere, a compact, nubuck suede steadily holds its form. Flocked denim, developed to resemble velvet, offers the appearance of glamour but the ease of a new era, while the weight of double-faced cashmere allows for hoodies to become effortless outerwear. An array of apres-ski outfits are formed from recycled polyester or quilted, lacquered nylon for profound practicality; butter soft bonded leathers allow the bodies of bags to collapse in on themselves in an expression of louche elegance; slippery silk satins suffuse eveningwear with ease.