LIKE other Italian fashion houses at MFW this season, Salvatore Ferragamo ups the glam ante with engaging results. Approaching both day and evening-wear with Italian femininity, they present an active women who can go from morning to night seamlessly in a combination of flowing more sensual clothing and alternatively technical garments given an elegant twist to complete the image of allure.
New shapes have been merged with unexpected fabrics to create statements as wild as karakul opera gloves matched with engorged fur collars and body-warming puffa gilets. These creative starting points were mostly downplayed throughout the collection however, which only resulted in an understated grandeur working in favour with Ferragamo’s brand identity.
Proportions did get a little shaken up as the collection progressed on the catwalk, with more unusual collars nobly framing faces at the peak of simplistic, yet versatile, silhouettes and sleeves transforming to become scarves. Yes, it would seem Ferragamo’s design team put its most collectively creative hand to AW17.
Although much appreciated, from knits emphasising strong architectonic shapes, props to that very attractive knitted tux, to the classic look and techno handle of teaming tradition with sporty materials, it probably isn’t going to develop Ferragamo’s customer base all that much. It’ll no doubt keep their current clientele very interested however.
by Livia Feltham
Images courtesy of Salvatore Ferragamo