Maximilian Davis - Designer, Creative Director of Ferragamo

[style_expert]

Imagine with this so called 'quiet luxury' trend how much of an impact a storied brand like Ferragamo could make if the marketing and branding was right.
It's not just about having deep pockets as a luxury house but also about spending it wisely.

I don't think Davis is such a terrible designer but he generally failed to make an impact with his first two collections. 'Youthful' and 'young Hollywood' is not the right reference for Ferragamo I guess.

I had another browse at the leather goods and shoes on the Ferragamo site, and for one thing the amount of uninteresting propositions is quite amazing. Most of it could pass as current Saint Laurent or Céline if you change the hardware..with the difference that people are willing to pay the premium for those brands.

 

[yslforever]

It's still way too early to to make any assessments. The new Ferragamo has only been in stores for how long?

A 4% drop in revenue after a huge rebranding and a completely new assortment is not that crazy.

That said there's no apparent IT shoe or bag. And with a relaunch like this, it really needs one. Or two. Or three.

That's the issue; in stores, no one can spot the "rebranding", the stores are exactly the same, the merchandise just looks like their usual, just a little bit trendier, and nothing stands out as a hit. Their are pushing those sneakers
Sneaker de running | Sneakers | pour homme | Ferragamo FR
everywhere but there are just as lame as the discounted Balmain or Versace ones, and the quality of the nylon knitwear and the sole material is basic.
The other issue with those Italian families brands (think Etro, Missoni, Armani, Trussardi, Marni, Alberta Ferreti, Loro Piana etc) is that they used to hire their relatives, nephews and cousins as executives instead of really qualified people. So it's very hit and miss compared to French houses and conglomerates which hires marketing and distribution people from Procter & Gamble, Unilever or Carrefour.... The only exception is propably Moncler, but even Tod's is lagging behind.

EDIT: and Maximilian Davis talent is not the issue, it's purely managerial incompetence.

 

[Mutterlein]

Guys, give it a minute. Gee whiz.

Even Hedi's Celine took a few seasons for things to pick up and now it's a huge success.

 

[MulletProof]

(Venizia)

love this clarification, but.. ne, not ni. You’re welcome.

Also this would probably look better if it was a family run business, call it nepotism.. or just family/Italian values. Less corporate ‘qualifications’ and random suits.

 

[yslforever]

love this clarification, but.. ne, not ni. You’re welcome.

Also this would probably look better if it was a family run business, call it nepotism.. or just family/Italian values. Less corporate ‘qualifications’ and random suits.

idk I know so many random cousins or nieces who are "head of marketing" or "head of development", "Senior RTW consultant" and they are generally completely off. Gobetti is a nice hiring but frankly if the board doesn't give him much power.

 

[MulletProof]

^ like the conglomerates don’t do that and in more outrageous ways. Kering has a 15 year old placed next to people with MAs in one of their companies..

 

[Mutterlein]

^ like the conglomerates don’t do that and in more outrageous ways. Kering has a 15 year old placed next to people with MAs in one of their companies..

Touche

 

[yslforever]

Touche

^ like the conglomerates don’t do that and in more outrageous ways. Kering has a 15 year old placed next to people with MAs in one of their companies..

Here to fill the minimum boards number required by companies by-laws.
There are reasons why so many Italian brands are nowhere they could be, nepotism is the main one. And Ferragamo is a prime exemple of it (just like the Gucci family, the Récamier family) : am I the only one remembering the insides of the purchase of Ungaro, the insane price tag (for 16 shops back then) and how many cash the Ferragamos burnt in 9 years ? To the point they had to firesale Ungaro and mortgage their own shares ?

 

[andrew]

https://www.ferragamo.com/shop/us/en/men/ready-to-wear-men/p-761103

dude, just ... no.

 

[Nimsay]

https://www.ferragamo.com/shop/us/en/men/ready-to-wear-men/p-761103

dude, just ... no.

That is fabulous for Marbella, St Tropez, Monte Carlo or Capri.

You aren't thinking like someone who lives that lifestyle. Color change pants are a trifle - the equivalent of buying a t-shirt reading "south beach" on it.

 

[LadyJunon]

https://www.ferragamo.com/shop/us/en/men/ready-to-wear-men/p-761103

dude, just ... no.

I remember that they had a women's variation that walked on the runway as "Passage 15". Zendaya wore it somewhere later on too. I prefer the true red/burgundy that the runway version gives. The orange/brown looks dirty.

 

[susseinmcswanny]

Ohhhhh I've been seeing that all over social media I didn't know it was Ferragamo. Weird. Also dumb. I always considered Ferragamo to be more lifestyle. This is just 1 and done gimmick trash. Also everyone's gonna see your wiener

 

[Nimsay]

I thought the rumor was Hedi wanted to do a demi couture using the haute couture label. Effectively tarnishing the storied YSL HC nameplate. I am glad that didnt move forward.

surprised to see this on Ferragamos new arrivals section.



those cut out bags with the assym handle are a mess. The mens shoes are still the strongsuit - which is Ferrgamo bread and butter. I like a few options and may move forward with a couple mens shoes for summer. The wrap thong sandal is a must have imo. The thick slides are great too.

i dont mind some of the stuff but the cuts arent sharp enough for the look. It looks cheap particularly that 2k faded orange shirt. That needs mcqueen level tailoring for that price.

 

[McQ20]

Though I am not familiar with how much of an influence the Ferragamo family still has in the company, I do think that Gobetti has been given so much power in terms of turning the brand around-- given the fact that they invested so much in rebranding and even changing the name of the company to simply Ferragamo. Though there is still much to do regarding refreshing and reestablishing a solid proposition on their products, changes are taking place albeit slowly. Store renovations could take some time but at least some of them are changing their names to the new logo. I mean the Gucci stores in my country still adhere to Frida's aesthetics... they just changed the display and some of the tables and uniforms in line with Alessandro's vision.

 

[LadyJunon]

This a comparison of the price range for a relatively men's suit at Ferragamo, McQueen and YSL:

Ferragamo: €3'800 - €5'100
McQueen: €2'680 - €3'380 (anything priced higher than that is more stylistically designed: draping, extra layers, asymmetry, loud colours)
YSL: €2'280 - €3'880

The McQueen suits looks crisp and sharp on the website, while the Ferragamo suits sink in at the shoulders and droop at the booty.

YSL doesn't do on-body product shoots and they don't seem to use mannequins in stores either, but I'm guessing that the fit is similar to McQueen's.

Also, who thought this was a good idea? Do we really need to a man's crotch in bright red?

 

[Cocteau Stone]

Also, who thought this was a good idea? Do we really need to a man's crotch in bright red?

The red design lines do really odd things to the models hips... The model isn't standing in a flattering way in the full body shot but still.

I'm no masterful tailor, but Davis tailoring looks really derpy. The jackets are pretty abysmal, especially that two tone one with the red sleeves (those cuffs and shoulders ). A strange combination between McQueen or Ozbek and Uniqlo.

 

[MulletProof]

Here to fill the minimum boards number required by companies by-laws.

Is this sentence missing a word?

am I the only one remembering the

Probably.

 

[yslforever]

I thought the rumor was Hedi wanted to do a demi couture using the haute couture label. Effectively tarnishing the storied YSL HC nameplate. I am glad that didnt move forward.

surprised to see this on Ferragamos new arrivals section.
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those cut out bags with the assym handle are a mess. The mens shoes are still the strongsuit - which is Ferrgamo bread and butter. I like a few options and may move forward with a couple mens shoes for summer. The wrap thong sandal is a must have imo. The thick slides are great too.

i dont mind some of the stuff but the cuts arent sharp enough for the look. It looks cheap particularly that 2k faded orange shirt. That needs mcqueen level tailoring for that price.

Saint Laurent-Kering doesn't have the full rights for haute couture without a written approval of Pierre Bergé's heir.
But re those Ferragamo sandals, I tried them in store, they were looking on the verge of breaking, or slipping away when walking (something about the strap around the big toe was off), I went for the Alfie BV sandals instead.
And yeah the tailoring prices is completely off too... as Lady Junon said it.

 

[yslforever]

Is this sentence missing a word?


Probably.

Ok the Ferragamos bought Ungaro business in 1996 for 250 millions of then French francs, there was only a limited business couture, 3 shops belonging to the Ungaro company and 13 through franchises. Then there was a huge fight between the numerous F cousins about what to do with Ungaro, but they kept pumping cash into it, especially to buy back licences and perfume ads.
They finally sold Ungaro for 1 € in 2004, after nearly half a billion of total loss. Some F cousins, the smaller shareholders, were furious because they had to mortgage their F shares to keep pumping cash into the F and Ungaro businesses, and their richer cousins had to bail them out.
It was maybe one the biggest failure of that period.

 

[MulletProof]

^ memory comes from an interest. But thanks.

(something about the strap around the big toe was off).

You need skinny toes for that type of sandal so it doesn't feel on the verge of breaking. It's a strap, not a roller chain.