Ferragamo pays homage to its relationship with ballet for Spring Summer 2025
Last Saturday, Ferragamo debuted its Spring/Summer 2025 collection at Portrait Milano, with the “Three Days in Florence” campaign by Juergen Teller providing a striking visual backdrop. The campaign’s imagery adorned the gallery’s second floor, evoking a New Renaissance spirit that resonated with Florence’s rich artistic heritage.
Hosted by CEO Marco Gobbetti and creative director Maximilian Davis, the presentation invited a select audience of celebrities and tastemakers to witness a collection that celebrates Ferragamo’s intimate relationship with ballet and its storied history.
Among the inspirations are snapshots in time: an intimate moment between Salvatore Ferragamo and dancer-anthropologist Katherine Dunham; Rudolf Nureyev in the 1980s, wearing custom-made Ferragamo ballerina shoes; a shoe being meticulously fit on a Black woman in mid-century Florence.
“I’ve always incorporated different historic eras in my work–eras which feel relatable to me and my heritage,” notes Davis. “At Ferragamo, I’ve sought out similarities – and the beauty of this brand is that there are so many different stories you can relate to. Every shoe has a meaning behind it. Every shoe has a story.”
Ferragamo’s iconic visual language weaves through this collection, uniting balletic references from different decades. Ballet practice uniforms inspire second-skin cashmere cotton that is layered, twisted, and tied, while voluminous silhouettes, from flowing opera coats to parachute dresses in silk, suede, and organza, bring an effortless sense of freedom. Louche tailoring and technical tracksuits recall Nureyev’s 1980s style, while sequin embellishments treated with a modern resin nod to Dunham’s mid-century glamour.
The footwear lineup takes a contemporary turn, with angular Eva pumps and graphic sandals wrapped with matte silk ribbons, alluding to the collection’s ballet motif. Fringe-detailed jacquard mules and geometric booties offer a fresh twist on archival 1940s styles.
The collection also channels the vibrant energy of the Caribbean, with frayed and stonewashed denim, organic shapes, and rubber jelly moccasins. Raw finishes juxtapose with clean, minimal lines, while raised hemlines inject a sense of romanticism tinged with subtle fetishistic undertones.
Among the accessories, the iconic Hug bag is reimagined, soft, and reconstructed, featuring a single handle and redefined leather form or reinterpreted as a sleek clutch. Meanwhile, the Foulard hobo, suspended from a Gancini chain, takes inspiration from the fluid drape of scarves, embodying Ferragamo’s timeless sophistication.
Furthering Ferragamo’s signatures, leather craftsmanship shines in intricate Gancini interlacing, and the maison’s monogram finds expression in a sustainable stonewashed denim jacquard and perforated satchels.
This collection encapsulates the house’s harmonious blend of tradition and innovation, a ballet of past and present, performed with Ferragamo’s signature elegance.
