For Ferragamo’s S/S 25 collection, Maximilian Davis dove into the brand’s deep connection with classical ballet, which started in the 1930s when the house created its first ballerina shoes. The inspiration for the collection stemmed from Davis digging through the house’s archives, where he found a photo of Salvatore Ferragamo fitting shoes on the feet of African-American dancer and choreographer, Katherine Dunham. Her art, shaped by her ethnographic research in the Caribbean, struck a personal chord with Davis, who shares Caribbean roots through his Trinidadian and Jamaican heritage. But Davis didn’t stop there — he also drew from the house’s connection to Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev, who wore the brand’s shoes in the 1980s. These key references came through in the show with parachute silhouettes and oversized coats, capturing a sense of freedom and movement — elements that Davis tied in throughout the collection. Cast by Mischa Notcutt, Liu Wen opened up the show in an oversized off-white trench coat, belted low waist, and paired with pointy heels that featured an asymmetrical flap, all tied together with a white clutch. A series of “ballerina off-duty” looks followed — leggings, ribboned pointy toe-heels, and ballet-inspired wrap tops in neutral, warm tones with pops of sapphire blue and Ferragamo red. Throughout the collection, he played with organic shapes that felt effortless and free, like the Opera coats and parachute dresses that moved gracefully down the runway, evoking a sense of ease, while color-blocking details connected back to his roots at the house. And the accessories? The soft Hug Bag and the draped Foulard Bag added just the right amount of movement. David didn’t just pull from Ferragamo’s archives for this collection – he reimagined them by creating a narrative that felt both rooted in the past and looking forward to the future.
