It has been nearly a full year since Ferragamo announced that creative director Paul Andrew would be exiting his role at the storied Italian heritage brand after five years. The announcement came amidst a company shakeup which included an entire revamp of the company’s board. Following Andrew’s departure last May, Ferragamo failed to name a successor, with the design role turned over to existing in-house teams.
The future of the Ferragmo brand remained a mystery, until now.
What’s Next for Ferragamo?
Business of Fashion reports that Salvatore Ferragamo has named 26-year old Maximilian Davis as its new creative director. The British-Trinidadian designer is the founder of his own label, MAXIMILIAN, which launched for Spring 2021. Though the brand is only in its infancy, it has already been worn by some of fashion’s brightest stars, like Kim Kardashian, Rihanna, and Dua Lipa, to name a few.
This appointment is the first of many big changes made by the brand’s new CEO, Marco Gobbetti, formerly of Burberry, who joined Ferragamo in January. This move is not only an exciting one, as Davis is likely to bring a youthful, fresh perspective to the heritage House, but it is also a much-needed step towards diversity. Not since Olivier Rousteing, creative director of Balmain, has a young black designer been hired to lead a European design House (Rousteing was 25 at the time, Davis is 26).
“The clarity of Maximilian Davis’s vision together with the level of execution and his powerful aesthetic make him one of the most brilliant talents of his generation. Through his lens of contemporary sensibility, he will write a new, exciting chapter for this house built on a heritage of creativity, craftsmanship, sophistication, and outstanding human values” – Marco Gobbetti
Davis’ work is known for being elegant and sensual, yet sensible and contemporary, influenced heavily by his Trinidadian roots. His designs quickly made their way to mainstream luxury fashion destinations like SSENSE, MATCHESFASHION, and Net-a-Porter. With news of his new position hitting the internet yesterday, the industry was abuzz with praise and excitement over what’s to come. Could a Daniel Lee/Bottega moment be in the cards for the House of Ferragamo? We shall see. Davis begins his post tomorrow, March 16th.
