The invitation
Great style outside the show.
Models chilling outside the venue.
The show took place at the neo-classical and elegant Palazzo Mezzanotte again.
The foyer
The virgin runway
Your favourite blogger before the show.
The show
The view from my seat in row 3.
Top 10 Picks
1.
For summer 2012 the Ferragamo man is a man with an intense gaze, hair combed back, a charismatic, seducer’s face from a sepia portrait. He’s wearing his shirt like a new tunic, he’s put on vintage sunglasses and chosen a frayed raffia hat.
The “uniform” being worn is for work, licensed to create, composed of elements that are basic but unique, brought together with subtle eccentricity.
2.
He wears a tailored double-breasted suit with a shirt made of the same material, a matte crocheted tie, and soft ‘30s-style high-waist trousers with pleats. He carries a travel bag, which is in fact a work bag, made of faded leather or canvas with leather detailing, designed with capacious pockets to contain all the instruments needed in his universe.
3.
The decontracté attitude conceals a lesson in tailoring: pale hemp jackets with their impeccable cut but lived-in look, washed fabrics that look sun bleached, the exquisite, almost imperceptible finishing on the shirts. The wardrobe expands beyond its normal confines, seemingly dystonically: a lengthened jacket may allude to the form of a shirt, a loose-knit cardigan can be worn with the nonchalance of a dressing gown.
4.
Light plays over the bulky textures of raw silks and linen. Silk towelling, accentuates the patterns of the knits in a profusion of chiné, mélange and embossed effects. A sensorial experience of soft and neutral shades, juxtaposed and mixed, in a palette that goes from the beiges to ivory and cream, and on to pastel greys and the mysterious chromatic depths of Navy blue and woodland undergrowth.
5.
On his feet, the classic Derby is enriched by choosing two different materials, canvas with cowhide piping, natural leather sole and light coloured stitching. Or the ’30s two-tone plaiting of the sophisticated fringed model, all leather. And moreover, an ennobling take on the originality of the espadrilla: woven rope sole, squared at the front and with leather piping, also coming in a version reminiscent of a slipper.
6.
A journey through an art that reflects culture and personality. A new stylistic composition that blends suggestions of yesterday and the elegance of today, with ineffable naturalness.
7.
The Shoes combine design and softness. Super-soft calfskins, suedes, patent/suedes, distressed-effect leather, unlined leather slippers with ultra-flexible soles: constructions that translate the comfort and lightness of Ferragamo icon models into male versions.
The “Gancio” motif continues to appear in accessories inspired by buckles on archive models and in microprints on leather and rubber soles.
Grosgrain detailing graces the new Red Carpets line. Lace-ups made of exclusive fabrics: linen and grosgrain.
8.
Bags embody design and comfort in motion. Ample forms, soft volumes and easy to wear; totes that adapt to all sorts of occasions. Bags of generous volume, made of water resistant, rubberized and washed goatskin, with side zips and smooth calfskin decorations.
9.
Silk and accessories embrace a whole world of floral and animal micro-patterns, miniatures, minute geometrical shapes, graphic motifs quoting the “Gancio”.
Subtle contrast is the new evolution in luxury. Stripes, large and small: the new jacquard ties have contrasting front and rear aprons.
The richness is in the detail “under the knot”: striking graphic motifs prevent monotony in the all-over patterns: golf balls in the dotted patterns, bees in floral patterns, or snails in the microgeometrical arabesques.
Ultra-lightweight yarns and prestige blends in the scarves: cashmere and silk, linen and cashmere. New mixes of logos and geometrical figures. Prints with interlocking “Gancio” motifs creating a new deco pattern for the men’s silk scarves.
Leather bracelets come with metal ornamentation and logo detailing.