Maximilian Davis assembles standout creative team for Ferragamo’s latest campaign

Ferragamo — under British creative director Maximilian Davis — has released its pre-fall campaign and said it’s returning to its roots, reflecting its historic relationship with some of cinema’s biggest stars.

The brand’s “story is inexorably interwoven with Hollywood: the place where Salvatore Ferragamo first made his name as ‘shoemaker to the stars’ and went on to create footwear for icons from Joan Crawford to Judy Garland, dressing Cecil B. DeMille’s Westerns and Marilyn Monroe’s comedies,” it said.

With that in mind, for pre-fall 2205, it’s “reflecting that relationship through the lens of renowned Italian filmmaker Alice Rohrwacher in a three-chapter film shot at iconic Italian studio Cinecittà, which will be released throughout the season”.

Davis said that “we wanted to create a story that felt very Italian but was based around Hollywood cinema. Alice has a very strong point of view, as well as a sense of humour and charm to her work. She can take a specific time and make it feel modern – and that’s exactly what we want to do”.

With the product as protagonist, Rohrwacher “lifts the curtain on the behind-the-scenes machinations and manual production techniques of the Golden Age, celebrating the craft of filmmaking as well as that which forms the accessories playing starring roles”.

Chapter 1 – L’Appuntamento — draws on “the timeless elegance of silver screen sirens. Angelina Kendall is caught in a moment of preparation for her on-set appearance: her face being powdered, her Gancini slingback being polished; her purse being grabbed as the clapperboard is struck and she makes her way in front of the lens”. 

“When you look into the archive, the pumps are some of the most iconic Ferragamo creations,” said Davis. “And so, we wanted to present them as part of the making of the movie star: a playful, almost ironic way of presenting elegance.”

Chapter 2 is L’Avventura as high summer comes into focus. It’s all about spherical cork-heeled sandals with raffia trim; handcrafted woven Gancini totes; and slip-on menswear mules. The chapter zooms out to reveal a filmmaking technique that “uses scraps of fabric to present the illusion of rolling waves”.

Davis added that Salvatore’s ideas of using the materials around you to innovate is so interesting to me. This scene is all about innovation and craft and so using that to create the very setting of the scene felt perfect”.

And Chapter 3 is Doppio Sogno as the season transitions to autumn. Angelina Kendall — “and her illusory twin, conjured through mirroring techniques” — embarks on a bicycle ride against the rolling backdrop of the Tuscan countryside, wearing Vara buckled high heel loafers and clutching the new Soft Bag, whose supple leather is pleated by a Gancini piercing. 

“It becomes a bit more sensual in terms of the buttery soft leathers, patent printed croc and knitted dresses with bouclé finishes: it’s all about textures,” Davis explained. “And a woman, riding her bike in a dress and a pump, is showing modern elegance in an Italian way: this is the Ferragamo woman as we see her today.”

As mentioned, Davis as the brand’s design chief is the overall creative director but specific campaign creative direction was entrusted to Ferdinando Verderi with Rohrwacher as video director, Francois Coquerel as photographer and Lotta Volkova as stylist.