Ferragamo presents the Salvatore Ferragamo retrospective 1898-1960: an extraordinary journey through the life of the fashion house’s founder to celebrate his pioneering spirit, his iconic creations and connections, and his extraordinary vision of invention and innovation.
One hundred years after the opening of the first Salvatore Ferragamo store in Hollywood in 1923, this commemorative exhibition highlights the most important milestones and chapters in the history of the man, craftsman and visionary entrepreneur, the “Shoemaker to the Stars”, who was always ahead of his time. He forged an unparalleled tradition of creativity and modernity that still inspires the maison today and is reflected in each of its expressions of elegance and excellence.
Following the first traveling retrospective inaugurated in 1985 at Palazzo Strozzi – which was followed by the founding of the Ferragamo Archive and the Ferragamo Museum – this new exploration back in time not only illustrates Salvatore Ferragamo’s ideas and masterpieces, but is also an important opportunity to reflect on the role of the Museum as a cultural and conservation system committed to an ongoing dialogue between past and present, heritage and contemporaneity, the brand and its global community.
An extraordinary collection of documents, objects, works of art, photographs and videos give an account of his boundless passion and forward-looking vision, showcasing the aesthetic style of Salvatore’s shoes and revealing his important contribution to the renaissance of the Made in Italy craftsmanship and industry.
The exhibition brings together and connects multiple levels of research and inspiration that juxtapose and intersect to offer an in-depth view of the founder’s mindset: his anatomical studies, his expert workmanship and decorations, his experimentation with color, his bold investigation of forms and materials, and the diverse artistic and cultural inspirations that ultimately led Salvatore back to Florence, Italy in 1927. The city, emblem of the Renaissance.
