Guillaume Meilland, Salvatore Ferragamo’s creative director for menswear, is French, so it’s interesting to see his interpretation of a quintessential Italian label of such prestigious pedigree. The French understand the value of history and the power of tradition; yet, they have a cool, nonchalant approach which can be refreshing for the passionate Italian sense of style. There’s definitely a respectful yet décontracté attitude in Meilland’s approach to the Florentine house’s highbrow codes.
The French and Italians share the same love for their respective Rivieras and for the leisurely, elegant lifestyle that is attached to their sunny shores. This was the feeling Meilland tried to capture in his Spring show, together with a très charmant vibe of laid-back glamour. At a preview a few days before the show, he tried to highlight the style connections between the two Mediterranean cultures: “I was thinking about René Clément’s ’60s movie Plein Soleil with Alain Delon,” he said, which was a thriller based on Patricia Highsmith's novel The Talented Mr. Ripley, shot in the Sicilian city of Taormina. In it, Delon is devastatingly handsome, as usual, in his effortless, dégagé cool set against the heat.
Meilland worked on silhouettes with breezy allure, in keeping with the life-at-the-seaside inspiration; yet they could easily transition into an urban summer wardrobe, thanks to the use of more substantial fabrics like corduroy and velour that complemented crisp poplins, terry cloths, and other soft, spongy textures. Leather, one of Ferragamo’s strengths, was kept lightweight, unlined, and malleable for jackets cut with minimalistic precision.
The Mediterranean life aquatic was also referenced through seahorses and coral motifs embroidered or printed on poplin shirts and velvety Bermudas; chunky fishermen-inspired knits could’ve looked at ease in St.-Tropez and Portofino. The mood was kept light and airy, with a touch of refined bohème. “While designing the collection, I was listening on loop to Eden Ahbez, the American songwriter from the ’40s so influential for the hippie culture," said Meilland. Ahbez was a radical freethinker who used to live in long white robes and traveled in leather sandals. Maybe he would’ve happily traded them for the comfy rubber-soled penny loafers the long-haired models wore on Ferragamo’s runway.
