In only his second year as Creative Director of Ferragamo, Maximilian Davis masterfully harmonized his own daring aesthetic and Ferragamo’s traditional luxury. Ferragamo’s iconic cutouts perfectly complement Davis’ masterful layering, sculpting, and draping in this spring-summer ‘24 collection.
The Ferragamo show was on everyone’s lips as Milan Fashion Week came to a close. Young Creative Director Maximilian Davis joined his own Caribbean roots with Ferragamo’s Italian heritage for his second spring-summer 2024 collection at the house.
Davis identified commonalities between the effortlessness in both Italian and Caribbean attire to inspire this collection. “There’s a familiarity I have found in the Italian way of dressing and living: an effortlessness which feels very Caribbean,” shares Davis. “The idea of doing everything at your own pace, on your own time.”
“There’s a familiarity I have found in the Italian way of dressing and living: an effortlessness which feels very Caribbean,” says Davis.
He also drew on Italy’s Arte Povera, which paired natural materials with industrial elements, to produce the collection’s luxurious regularity. Wooden accessories were polished to perfection. Natural fabrics articulated rigorous silhouettes.
To lighten-up the house’s inclination to heavier leather, Davis drew on airy fabrics like linens and cottons. “I wanted things to feel a lot lighter, both in terms of fabric and construction but also in terms of how people want to dress,” Davis explains. He upgrades these lightweight fabrics with methodical elegance by pairing them with satins for capes or treating them to mimic leather.
Control and freedom interacted in this collection to produce casual, worn, textured leather tailoring. Ferragamo’s Florentine heritage as well as 18th century Caribbean style shone through in viscose jersey drapery contrasted with Renaissance armor-inspired leather bodices.
Davis deviated from Ferragamo’s pattern of conservatism with his innovative taste, specifically in the direction of fetishism. “Fetishism is something that runs through the DNA of my work,” he explains. “There’s something modern about incorporating that in your daily life and daily wardrobe.” High patent boots balanced elegant dresses. Men’s loungewear shorts rested high on the thigh, and T-shirts looked as if the models hastily pulled them over their heads before stepping onto the runway.
The collection’s footwear echoed this subtle abberation. Nappa latex shots aligned Davis’ nonconformist tendencies with Ferragamo’s traditional footwear craftsmanship. The Calypso heel, a 1955 archival style, inspired the 3D-printed banana cage heel design. Deconstructed men’s oxfords, moccasins and driver shoes reflected the house’s heritage in a contemporary context.
Handbags were reminiscent of the previous collections’ unique geometricity. A modern classic, the Hug, emerged in the form of a shiny pouch in a variety of shades, including a sky blue. The Fiamma bag appeared more lightweight than ever and the frame bag was decorated with wooden beads, evoking a spring attitude. The men’s Star bag stole the show with bonded construction and absent hardware, once again lightening the wearer’s load.
Luxury shoppers are sure to appreciate his skillful elevation of the everyday dress, this is only the beginning for Davis.
All imagery courtesy of Ferragamo.
