Designer Massimiliano Giornetti should be very pleased with the fall/winter 2014 collection he sent down the catwalk on Sunday for Salvatore Ferragamo. It hit all the right notes of understated luxury and sophisticated style that the Ferragamo name has come to represent in fashion.
With Oscar winning actress and friend of the house Hillary Swank watching from the front row Giornetti offered up to all those Ferragamo fans around the globe a collection subtly steeped in the rigorous and streamlined beauty of equestrian dress. There were the more on-the-nose references in the English riding boots and the metal bit circle handles of the show’s folded flat handbags. However, in the clothing the idea was more restrained, say in the gorgeous cashmere blanket cape dress that was the third look on the runway or a faded grey plaid jacket with rounded, slightly exaggerated sleeves.
The designer also came up with a number of lovely pieces that used this season’s go to design technique of needle punching to meld second skin shimmering metallic tops to pleated skirts or created an ombre effect both in color (black to burnt orange to grey) and textiles (wool to silk to wool again). And the stellar outerwear that faded colors and animal prints in and out and up and down the fabric of wrap front coats or capes were the epitome of chic.
Giornetti’s designs might be discreet but they are just bold enough for Ferragamo’s stealth wealth customer base.