Ferragamo S/S 2023 Milan

[vogue28]

VOGUE.COM

 

[Lola701]

I loved it! I think it was a strong debut collection…
It’s very now in a way because it’s more in tune with the wave Daniel Lee started at BV but there were strong ideas, a real proposition in terms of dresses. I think Daniel Lee had a stronger statement and kinda made Bottega Veneta part of the fashion conversation but here there was much more of a balance.
There are a lot of great looks and some great pieces that are timeless and you kinda expect to see at a brand like Ferragamo. The suede monochromatic looks are stunning, the color palette is interesting…I love the kinda of Balenciaga by NG circa 2006 part in the end. And I love how Maximilian is in tune with the aesthetic he is pushing.

My little complain would be in the bags. I think the footwear is great, simple but the bag they are obviously trying to push is like a bad version of the tote Rei Kawakubo designed for the Louis Vuitton Iconoclast collection in 2014.

But so far, this is the best collection of the season. Bravo Maximilian!

Ps: Pierpaolo made a mistake by running away from the Valentino red for his obnoxious pink. Red never looked so good…

 

[GivenchyAddict]

^ This red is growing on me so much !

 

[WAVES]

very good collection, extremely solid.
the fitting was on point, everything looked well made, the proportions and the designs were pristine.
loved the excess of red! gorgeous! it increased the sense of desire.

I only wished for a stronger casting but it was still very good.

bravo!

 

[jeanclaude]

I think they´d better focus to shoes, and forget the RTW...like Manolo Blahnik.

 

[LadyJunon]

I think they´d better focus to shoes, and forget the RTW...like Manolo Blahnik.

They needed the revamp regardless.

 

[LadyJunon]

The use of hook imagery is starting to grow on me, especially the fantasy heels:

The lace-up heels were good too:

I always love a nice top-handle bag:

The egg bag speaks to my weird side:

I hope those Rei Kawakubo × Louis Vuitton dupes, the "body pouches" and the long socks and boots aren't produced:

I understand why @Cocteau Stone is saw elements of Jacquemus from this. I prefer Ferragamo's more sophisticated approach towards those elements though.

 

[Frederic01]

In my opinion the interpretation of the Ferragamo DNA is all wrong. Most of this collection is cocktail and evening wear? There's very little daywear, or at least convincing daywear pieces that could potentially appeal to their existing clientele. That includes the shoes and the bags.

And as for a new generation of clients? I don't see what makes Ferragamo evening wear so unique from what is already out there? A lot of this, as mentioned, looks like Jacquemus but without the "cool" factor and it will probably be double the price. It will be interesting to see if young people will choose Ferragamo over a brand like Jacquemus.

I also don't agree that Davis has "good taste". A lot of this is so tacky and trashy. Those ombre dresses are straight out a Roberto Cavalli show circa 2005. Don't get me started on the menswear...

 

[jeanclaude]

The luxury version of a camel toe!

vogue.com

 

[LadyJunon]

The luxury version of a camel toe!

vogue.com

Salvatore Fer-Cameltoe.

 

[Cocteau Stone]

I understand why @Cocteau Stone is saw elements of Jacquemus from this. I prefer Ferragamo's more sophisticated approach towards those elements though.

Oh it’s definitely far more sophisticated than anything Jacquemus has done both in terms of silhouette and fabrications. I think this is a more telling instance of the way younger designers currently approach their work, based on what they like, what they’re taught and the way things have shifted in fashion.

Looking at this collection again, I actually think it would have been great to have Maximilian at Burberry. He has a bourgeois sensibility to him and I think (emphasis on I think) that could work with Burberry’s heritage. Gimmicky enough to create an aura in some places, but grounded enough so that the pieces themselves are very approachable. Plus, the colour palette of this collection is pretty much the same as the Burberry check.

I also don't agree that Davis has "good taste". A lot of this is so tacky and trashy. Those ombre dresses are straight out a Roberto Cavalli show circa 2005. Don't get me started on the menswear...

I don't know his taste level entirely, but his taste does come across as "good" because what they're strongly referencing is, by social media standards, considered tasteful/in good taste/cool so therefore tasteful. Very much a product of this time which is something we have to accept unfortunately. I think this actually feels more "cool" than Jacquemus as he has always felt very passe, like everything is surrounded by "yes" people with him so therefore the world has to say "yes" to it/him.

Will wait and see and how the next collection or two goes to really see where he's at with Ferragamo.

 

[LadyJunon]

Oh it’s definitely far more sophisticated than anything Jacquemus has done both in terms of silhouette and fabrications. I think this is a more telling instance of the way younger designers currently approach their work, based on what they like, what they’re taught and the way things have shifted in fashion.

Looking at this collection again, I actually think it would have been great to have Maximilian at Burberry. He has a bourgeois sensibility to him and I think (emphasis on I think) that could work with Burberry’s heritage. Gimmicky enough to create an aura in some places, but grounded enough so that the pieces themselves are very approachable. Plus, the colour palette of this collection is pretty much the same as the Burberry check.

I don't know his taste level entirely, but his taste does come across as "good" because what they're strongly referencing is, by social media standards, considered tasteful/in good taste/cool so therefore tasteful. Very much a product of this time which is something we have to accept unfortunately. I think this actually feels more "cool" than Jacquemus as he has always felt very passe, like everything is surrounded by "yes" people with him so therefore the world has to say "yes" to it/him.

Will wait and see and how the next collection or two goes to really see where he's at with Ferragamo.

Jacquemus had 7+ years of lukewarm reception before "Les Santons" which made him do a 180. His "industry darling" status make his employees reluctant to criticize him, sabotaging him in the process. He lacks technical skills, but makes up for it in marketing and showmanship.

Davis, however, despite only having 5 collections (4 eponymous, 1 for Ferragamo) under his direction. Before that, he worked as a pattern cutter for Bianca Saunders, giving him with better technical skills than most of his peers. Having a much smaller budget along with sharing a show with Chet Lo meant that he had to impress by creating decent clothes. His work was unique, yet approachable compared to most young London designers and was deservedly well received. The larger platform, team and budget at Ferragamo will hopefully allow him to reach his full potential, while modernising the fashion house.

 

[Norden]

Maybe it’s the red and the severity in contrasts. But somehow I’m reminded by those collections Bruno Pieters did for Hugo boss.

I think it’s an okay debut, there are some seeds of potential, and given enough time it could grow into something substantial. It reminds me when lemaire started at Hermes, a bit one dimensional, but grew out to be sophisticated and cultural. This lacks a bit of depth still.

the worst offender is the menswear here, some of these clothes aren’t so nice on the body with weird bunching. That jacket with the red sleeves is awful, Raf did that way better more than 10 years ago.

 

[RaisinBoy]

Is this Max Mara thread or its all bluring into same uninteresting snoozefest

 

[Ruito]

Some looks were boring the others were just bad and poorly designed.

 

[YohjiAddict]

It’s pleasant, in the way that a decent Milan show can be. I’m curious to see if the motifs and silhouettes taken from Roman antiquity will form a recurring inspiration for him, it’s probably the part I favor the most, although it could use a lot of refining…you could say that of almost every piece of clothing in this collection.

Such angular bags I do not like one bit though, they don’t feel right. Shoes are lovely.

 

[nigelraphe]

This is a great start for Davis, and better than most of the SS23 collections of other brands.

 

[fer19dog]

great first debut!!! the accessories are to die for.

 

[Frederic01]

Review from the Financial Times. Have to agree with the sentiments expressed. This show did not thrill at all.

Expectations were riding highest at Ferragamo, the 95-year-old Florentine shoemaker now helmed by former Burberry chief executive Marco Gobbetti and Maximilian Davis, a 27-year-old hailing from Manchester and the first black designer to cover the creative director position at the house.

In recent years, family-led Ferragamo has forfeited market share to bigger rivals, becoming a small fish in an increasingly large pond, and turning it around will be no easy task. Sales last year amounted to €1.14bn, still shy of pre-pandemic revenues. The family has urged Davis to be “risky”, he said backstage, and the show had the fizz of a major debut. There was a palace for a set, its floors and walls blanketed in an orangey red, and Ferragamo’s new, all-caps, ever-so-slightly-seriffed Peter Saville-designed logo blown up opposite the entrance.

In hiring such a young designer, the Ferragamo family is hoping to draw in a younger customer, but Davis designed for a range. There were bandeau tops and short skirts, sure, but the emphasis was on tailoring and the kind of sleek sportswear perfected by Michael Kors and Tom Ford. It was more vibrant and energetic than what came before Davis, but it did not thrill. And Ferragamo needs to thrill in order to cut through the noise of its much larger and better-financed rivals.

 

[style_expert]

For a mostly leather goods based brand, the shoes and bags are very disappointing and not covetable at all? The ready to wear is quite forgettable too.
Surprised the family has briefed Davis to be risky. I think there is more potential for a direction towards traditional luxury and refinement for Ferragamo.
I understand Marco Gobbetti must have gained a lot of confidence from the turnaround and new chapter he had created at Céline, but he doesn't have a Phoebe Philo this time around...And his success at Burberry with Riccardo was also questionable in terms of brand positioning.