If you find yourself in Italy between now and November 2024 and care about shoes even a little bit, this exhibition is a must-see. Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, which recently opened the new exhibition in Florence, is a dedicated space to the Ferragamo fashion house and the man known as the “Shoemaker to the Stars.” To celebrate its 100th anniversary of the first store opened in Hollywood, the museum is hosting a new exhibit entitled “Salvatore Ferragamo, 1898–1960.”
The retrospective exhibition highlights the most important chapters of Ferragamo’s life and career from his birth in 1898 to his death in 1960. Visitors will see nine distinct sections, split up by his career timeline, including milestones like his first boot shop and his work on Cecil B. DeMille’s The Ten Commandments. Through the impressive collection of photographs, objects, artworks, and videos, the exhibit features over 300 pairs of shoes and 300 patents to highlight the detailed way he created some of the most iconic heels today, like the cork-wedged heel and the stiletto. Images include many famous clients he designed for, like Marilyn Monroe and Joan Crawford. Alongside some of the best shoes in history, the exhibit illustrates Ferragamo’s dedication to entrepreneurship by detailing his process for patenting his products and exemplifying the craftsmanship behind the “Made in Italy” tag that is still relevant today.
This exhibition, curated by Stefania Ricci and Fondazione Ferragamo, is a reminder of the brand’s storied history, which brings us to today and the appointment of British Trinidadian designer Maximilian Davis. In September, the Cut’s fashion critic Cathy Horyn wrote that Davis presented one of the best collections of Milan Fashion Week, showing the brand’s direction. He showed loose-cut, A-line trench coats; loose-fitting, long-sleeve silk dresses; and, you guessed it, sculptural heels.