Ferrari Steps On The Gas with First Runway Fashion Collection

“I am proud to be Italian and to be able to lead this project." Rocco Iannone, the creative soul of Ferrari's fashion project, is overjoyed after the car manufacturer's first runway show. The brand debuted its sui generis lifestyle project on the assembly lines of the Maranello factory, a symbol of Italian industry. The show was opened by Maria Carla Boscono and closed by Natalia Vodianova. In between, a parade of top models showcased 52 co-ed looks that will be unpacked over six drops in global launches in boutiques and e-stores.

Because of the logic of cars, Ferrari will launch a fashion collection every year, with a traveling event, unveiling a fluid fashion concept, deeply linked to the history of the brand. “Ferrari is not a nostalgic company but projected towards the future… This has guided me on my creative path," added Iannone.

The 37-year-old designer who previously worked at Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana, and Pal Zileri, was called by John Elkhann, the first shareholder of Ferrari, to give a new face to the style division of the company that was, until now, only anchored to the world of Formula One merchandising. “I wanted a collection that could tell today and the present, capable of expressing a new way of experiencing the contemporary. This project is 80 percent no-gender and embraces all physicality, from XXS to XXXL," added the designer. “We have tried to transport the anatomical elements of cars into fashion to dictate a visual language, of lines and technique, which passes from the assembly workshops to the catwalk. We tried to inject a couture spirit into a young and contemporary collection."

“Performance, craftsmanship, beauty. These three pillars describe a Ferrari car and we have translated them into a fashion language,” added Iannone. "Digging into the archives I was able to confront myself with the imaginative and iconographic universe of Ferrari linked to its publications which from the 1940s to today have told the world of Ferrari embracing the world of art and illustration." The new ready-to-wear collection includes an additional childrenswear line not seen in the show.

There is also space for sustainability in the project: “We have grounded a responsible supply chain, to support the artisan companies that now work with us. And for leather, for example, we have embraced a cruelty-free supply chain." The baptism of the line, already available online, took two years of work and is the tip of the iceberg in the reimagination of the brand's lifestyle, which has always been animated by a clientele made up of two groups: fans and owners—two worlds that interact with each other, as will the classic Ferrari merchandising and the new ready-to-wear from today.

"Ferrari is exclusive but not exclusive," explained Nicola Boari, chief brand diversification officer, at the helm of the project with Iannone. "This collection marks the beginning of a new chapter in Ferrari history. We have cut about 50 percent of the old licenses while keeping the more high-level ones. We have arranged the supply chain by favoring Made in Italy. And we have started a long path that will lead, little by little, towards profit. We will start from Italy and the US for distribution and in 2022 it will be China's turn. Already today the first leaders of the project will arrive at LuisaViaRoma. We will also work with Farfetch, for example, to ensure organic development," continued the manager.

“What we expect is an immediate return to Ferrari's image. Together with John Elkhan, we worked to build a constant and stable development path." It is whispered that the investment was one of the most important for Ferrari outside the auto world and that the next steps will see the accelerator be pressed on accessories and outerwear. "In November 2019 we declared that Ferrari's brand diversification would reach 10 percent of Ebit in ten years. Then there was the COVID that held back the plans but we are working for this."

Two other projects were also unveiled in a weekend baptized Ferrari, the first being the new concept store tested for the Maranello space which will subsequently be applied to the other stores in the world starting in Milan. Conceived by Simon Mitchell's Sybarite studio, the single-brand store recounts a sci-fi architecture with references to the world of cars and racing. The second, however, is the reinvention of the historic Il Cavallino restaurant in front of the Maranello headquarters: a home for the founder Enzo Ferrari who conducted negotiations with customers and drivers here. To redesign it, star architect India Mahdavi and the world-class chef Massimo Bottura, team up to create a unique experience. Further cementing the three F's of Made in Italy in the world—fashion, food, furniture—this weekend considers the possibility of adding a fourth "F" for Ferrari to the list.