Celebrate the Life and Creations of Salvatore Ferragamo in New Exhibition
Aptly titled, Salvatore Ferragamo: 1898-1960, the new exhibition recounts the illustrious artisan’s story in celebration since Ferragamo opened his first store in Hollywood 100 years ago.
Exactly one hundred years have passed since Salvatore Ferragamo inaugurated his first store in Hollywood, confirming the success achieved in the United States, where he had immigrated in 1915. His shoes became very famous at the time thanks to the commissions for famous films such as The Ten Commandments by Cecil B. DeMille and for the film stars who went crazy for his silhouettes, from Greta Grabo to Gloria Swanson.
Exploring the life of Salvatore Ferragamo, the exhibition Salvatore Ferragamo: 1898 - 1960 at the Ferragamo Museum in Florence (open from October 27, 2023, to November 4, 2024) highlights the contribution of the "shoemaker to the stars" to the rebirth of Italian craftsmanship and the importance of local design, based on the mix of tradition and innovation.
Hollywood divas and celebrities
Ferragamo's relationship with his customers, who categorized them into "Cinderellas," "Venuses" and "Aristocrats" - based on their preference for footwear and their lifestyle - is told in the section "Famous Shoes and Feet " of the exhibition. Stars such as Pola Negri, Mary Pickford, Joan Crawford, and Rudolph Valentino, but also dancers, directors, and producers passed through the Hollywood Boot Shop.
There were Gloria Swanson and Claudette Colbert who preferred classic shoes, to Marlene Dietrich who opted for fashionable models. Or the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, who loved two-tone shoes for summer and solid colors for winter, while Ingrid Bergman favored low heels and Evita Perón's exotic Argentine leathers. Ferragamo's creativity adapted to various personalities, from Marilyn Monroe with her beloved stiletto heels to Greta Garbo who loved shoes with a masculine allure.
Who was Salvatore Ferragamo?
Salvatore Ferragamo was born on June 5, 1898 in Bonito, Irpinia. Despite his father's disagreement, he becomes passionate about the shoemaking profession. The family is too poor to afford to buy Salvatore's sister's shoes for their first communion. At 9 years old he made his first pairs of shoes. The premature death of his father left the family destitute and in 1912 Salvatore went to Naples where he learned the art of shoemaking. A short time later he returned to Bonito where he opened a shoemaking business. In 1915, he decided to emigrate to America, where he worked in a machine-made shoe factory but was dissatisfied with the quality. He moved to California, where he opened a custom shoe repair and shoe shop.
Ferragamo's entry into the world of cinema happened by chance, as one of the brothers ironed the stage clothes of the nascent Hollywood industry. After the first successes - boots for Western films, footwear of all kinds for the blockbusters of the time - Ferragamo's fame grew beyond belief. He understood the importance of arch support for fit after taking anatomy courses at the University of California. In 1923, Ferragamo moved his business to Hollywood, where he purchased the license of the Hollywood Boot Shop, located across the street from Grauman's Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard.
During this period he collaborated with famous directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, David Wark Griffith, and Raoul Walsh, creating footwear for their films. After two years, Ferragamo opened a new store at 6683 Hollywood Boulevard, becoming a point of reference for celebrities and film stars alike. His fame grew to such an extent that the shop itself appeared in some films of the time, such as Show People by King Vidor in 1928. Having become an American citizen, in 1927 he returned to Italy, to Florence, where he opened a factory by uniting the local craftsmanship with the American production system. His goal? Expand the production of Italian artisan footwear and distribute it in the United States through the Hollywood store.
The 1929 crisis also had an impact on Ferragamo's shoe factory. He declared bankruptcy in 1933 and reopened a workshop and shop in the name of his sisters. He moved the business to Palazzo Altoviti Sangalletti, which in 1942 became the headquarters of Ferragamo. From the end of the 1930s, Ferragamo opened shops in Rome, Milan, the United States, Berlin, and London. In 1951, Ferragamo participated in the first Italian fashion show organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini at Villa Torrigiani in Florence. He died on August 7, 1960, in Italy, leaving the company to his late wife Wanda Miletti Ferragamo.
In every section of the exhibit, guests and fashion enthusiasts alike will have the chance to take a peek into Ferragamo's long history and appreciate his unparalleled creativity, craftsmanship, and commitment to excellence that continues to inspire the fashion world today.
