The life and creativity of the king who created "Hollywood superstar" shoes

Titled Salvatore Ferragamo: 1898-1960, the new exhibition tells the story of the celebrated craftsman on the occasion of the 100th anniversary of Ferragamo opening his first store in Hollywood.

Exactly one hundred years have passed since Salvatore Ferragamo opened his first store in Hollywood, confirming the success he achieved in the United States, where he emigrated in 1915. His shoes became very famous at the time thanks to commissions for famous films such as Cecil B. DeMille's "The Ten Commandments" and for movie stars who were crazy about their style, from Greta Grabo to Gloria Swanson.

Exploring the life of Salvatore Ferragamo, the exhibition Salvatore Ferragamo: 1898 - 1960 at the Ferragamo Museum in Florence (open from 27 October 2023 to 4 November 2024) highlights the contribution of the “shoemaker to the stars” to the rebirth of Italian craftsmanship and the importance of local design, based on a combination of tradition and innovation.

Hollywood Divas and Celebrities

Ferragamo categorized its customers into “Cinderellas,” “Venuses,” and “Nobles”—based on their shoe preferences and lifestyles—which are recounted in the “Famous Shoes and Feet” section of the exhibition. Stars such as Pola Negri, Mary Pickford, Joan Crawford, and Rudolph Valentino, as well as dancers, directors, and producers, all passed through the Hollywood Boot Shop.

Gloria Swanson and Claudette Colbert loved classic shoes, while Marlene Dietrich opted for trendy designs. Or the Duchess of Windsor, Wallis Simpson, who loved two-tone shoes for summer and solid colors for winter, while Ingrid Bergman favored low heels and Evita Perón's exotic Argentine leathers. Ferragamo's creations catered to a wide range of personalities, from Marilyn Monroe, who loved her stiletto heels, to Greta Garbo, who loved her shoes with a masculine look.

Who is Salvatore Ferragamo?

Salvatore Ferragamo was born on June 5, 1898, in Bonito, Irpinia. Despite his father's objections, he pursued a career in shoemaking. The family was so poor that they could not afford to buy shoes for Salvatore's sister for her First Communion. At the age of nine, he made his first pair of shoes. The early death of his father left the family in financial straits, and in 1912, Salvatore went to Naples to learn the art of shoemaking. He returned to Bonito shortly afterwards and opened his own shoe business. In 1915, he decided to emigrate to the United States, where he worked in a shoe factory but was dissatisfied with the quality. He moved to California, where he opened a shoe repair shop and custom-made shoes.

Ferragamo entered the world of cinema by accident, when one of the brothers was ironing stage clothes for the fledgling Hollywood industry. After his early successes, making boots for Westerns, and shoes of all kinds for the blockbusters of the time, Ferragamo's reputation grew to an incredible level. He understood the importance of arch support for good posture after taking anatomy courses at the University of California. In 1923, Ferragamo moved his business to Hollywood, where he purchased the license for the Hollywood Boot Shop, located across from Grauman's Egyptian Theatre on Hollywood Boulevard.

During this time, he collaborated with famous directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, David Wark Griffith and Raoul Walsh, creating footwear for their films. After two years, Ferragamo opened a new store at 6683 Hollywood Boulevard, which became a reference for celebrities and movie stars. His reputation grew so much that the store itself appeared in several films of the time, such as King Vidor's Show People in 1928. Becoming an American citizen, in 1927 he returned to Italy, to Florence, where he opened a factory by integrating local craftsmanship with the American production system. His goal was to expand the production of Italian handmade shoes and distribute them in the United States through the Hollywood store.

The crisis of 1929 also affected the Ferragamo shoe factory. He declared bankruptcy in 1933 and reopened a workshop and shop under his sister's name. He moved the business to Palazzo Altoviti Sangalletti, which became Ferragamo's headquarters in 1942. From the late 1930s, Ferragamo opened shops in Rome, Milan, the United States, Berlin and London. In 1951, Ferragamo participated in the first Italian fashion show organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini at the Villa Torrigiani in Florence. He died on 7 August 1960 in Italy, leaving the company to his late wife Wanda Miletti Ferragamo.

In each area of the exhibition, guests and fashion enthusiasts will have the opportunity to learn about Ferragamo's long history and appreciate his creativity, craftsmanship and unparalleled commitment to excellence, which continue to inspire the fashion world today.

Hoai Huong (according to 24h.com.vn)

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