Boys are Bond, girls wear gold: this was the theme of the evening. The party to celebrate the 40th birthday of the twins James & Salvatore Ferragamowas held at the family home, the Tenuta Privata del Borro in Tuscany. Guests came from all over the world to celebrate.
The brothers’ birthday wish had been to transform the Tenuta into an imitation of Casino Royale, and guests could play for the chance to a give a smile to an underprivileged child through the Busajo association.
Salvatore Ferragamo spared no expense on its latest Resort 2012 collection by Creative Director, Massimiliano Giornetti. The show took place in NYC in a luxurious old-world 1900's mansion fit for.
There was gold, gold and more gold: sparkling haute couture dresses and unconventional jewellery dazzled the many elegant Bonds – or in this case it would be more appropriate to say the many “James’s and Salvatores”.
Louise Ferragamo, art director for the evening, decorated the reception rooms with gold lame and turned the large hall into a faithful recreation of the 007 HQ!
The guests dined from a strictly gold-dusted menu, and were entertained in the rooms with games like roulette and black jack – as well as the essential baccarat. There was also a surprise arranged by Cristine Ferragamo: their friend Andrea Bocelli sang Happy Birthday. There was wild dancing until dawn brought this dazzling Bond Night to a close.
Born | 5 June 1898 |
---|---|
Died | 7 August 1960 (aged 62) |
Nationality | Italian |
Alma mater | University of Southern California |
Occupation | Shoe designer |
Known for | Founder of Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A.. |
Notable work | cage heel, wedge heel |
Spouse(s) | Wanda Ferragamo |
Children | 6 |
Salvatore Ferragamo (5 June 1898 – 7 August 1960) was an Italian shoe designer and the founder of luxury goods high-end retailer Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A. An innovative shoe designer, Salvatore Ferragamo, established a reputation in the 1930s. In addition to experimenting with materials including kangaroo, crocodile, and fish skin, Ferragamo drew on historic inspiration for his shoes.
Salvatore (registered as 'Salvadore') Ferragamo was born in 1898[1] to a poor family in Bonito, Italy, near Avellino, the eleventh of fourteen children of Antonio Ferragamo and Mariantonia Ferragamo (both had the same surname, which often happened in smaller Italian towns). After making his first pair of shoes for himself, a pair of high heels, at age nine (and his sisters to wear at their confirmation), young Salvatore decided that he had found his calling.[citation needed]
After studying shoemaking in Naples for a year, Ferragamo opened a small store based in his parents' home. In 1914, he emigrated to Boston, Massachusetts, where one of his brothers worked in a cowboy boot factory. After a brief stint at the factory, Ferragamo convinced his brothers to move to California, first Santa Barbara then Hollywood. It was there that Ferragamo found success, initially opening a shop for repair and made-to-measure shoes, leading to a long period of designing footwear for the cinema.
Reluctant to accept that his shoes could be beautiful but uncomfortable to wear, he studied anatomy at the University of Southern California.[citation needed]
After spending thirteen years in the US, Ferragamo returned to Italy in 1927, settling in Florence. He began to fashion shoes for prominent women, including the Maharani of Cooch Behar, Eva Peron and Marilyn Monroe. He opened a workshop in the Via Mannelli, experimenting with design, while applying for patents for his innovations. He filed for bankruptcy in 1933 due to bad management and economic pressure, but was able to expand his operations in the 1950s, including a workforce of 700 artisans who made 350 pairs of shoes per day, by hand.[citation needed]
'The Rainbow' was created by Salvatore Ferragamo in 1938 and was the first instance of the platform shoe returning in modern days in the West. The platform sandal was designed for American singer and actress Judy Garland. The shoe was a tribute to Garland's signature song 'Over the Rainbow' performed in The Wizard of Oz (1939) feature film. The shoe was crafted using shaped slabs of cork covered in suede with gold kidskin straps. His was inspired to experiment with new materials to find materials not rationed during World War II.[2]
Salvatore Ferragamo died in 1960 at the age of 62, but his name lives on as an international company, which has expanded its operations to include luxury shoes, bags, eyewear, silk accessories, watches, perfumes and a ready-to-wear clothing line. At his death, his wife Wanda and later their six children (Fiamma, Giovanna, Fulvia, Ferruccio, Massimo and Leonardo) ran the company.[citation needed]
His most famous invention is arguably the 'Cage heel'.[citation needed] Fiamma (Salvatore's eldest daughter who died in 1998) came up with the 'Vara pumps' in 1978.[citation needed]
A museum dedicated to Ferragamo's life and work opened in the Palazzo Spini Feroni in 1995.[3] The palazzo had been bought by Ferragamo in the 1930s.[citation needed]
In March 2013, Ferragamo's fashion house, Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A., established the Ferragamo Foundation in Florence. The foundation was formed to cultivate young fashion designers, based on the ideas of Salvatore Ferragamo.[4]
The company is owned by the Ferragamo family, which in November 2006 included Salvatore's widow Wanda, five children, 23 grandchildren and other relatives. There is a rule that only three members of the family can work at the company, prompting fierce competition.[citation needed]