For his debut collection as Salvatore Ferragamo’s design director of women’s footwear, Paul Andrew has stayed ahead of the curve, updating the Florentine fashion house’s signature F-shaped wedge – first created in 1947 – in suede and velvet variations. ‘I have been researching the shoes in the house’s archive and this is something that salvatore Ferragamo was never able to do,’ explains the English-born, New York-based designer.
‘When I was designing the collection, I started thinking about Richard Serra and the way he works with form. The shape of his Torqued Ellipse sculptures are very reminiscent of the F-shaped wedge. It’s very undercut and dramatic. To mould materials like velvet and suede, which don’t have much give, is very complicated.’ To achieve the design, Andrew developed leather crimping machines, which mould the fabric and leather 11 times over several days. ‘The silhouette that Ferragamo created in the 1940s was always covered with two pieces of leather,’ explains Andrew. ‘The state-of-the-art technology that we now have at our fingertips allows us to manifest the shape in one piece, which is a real feat of engineering.’
A version of this article originally appeared in the September 2017 issue of Wallpaper* (W*222)
Sandal (1947) in patchwork and suede, with wooden F-shaped wedge heel covered in suede.
Left, S/S 2014 sandal in suede and nappa leather with plexiglas F-shaped wedge heel. Right, Salvatore Ferragamo, Patent no 26673, support shape for shoe sole, with central spur and support for the heel, application dated 16 January 1947, patent issued on 10 May 1947. Courtesy of the Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Florence
A/W 2007 décolleté in patent leather with plexiglas F-shaped wedge heel.
INFORMATION
For more information, visit the Salvatore Ferragmo website
-
This striking new vineyard is putting Swedish wine on the mapBerglund Arkitekter completes a new home for Kullabergs Vingård in the country's verdant Skåne country
-
Tag Heuer celebrates its racing credentials at this year's Watches and WondersTag Heuer nods to its partnership with Grand Prix de Monaco with this year's sporty new watches
-
Hermès sets the scene at Watches and WondersHermès has collaborated with artist Sarah-Anaïs Desbenoit at this year's Watches and Wonders, creating an atmospheric stage for the 2025 watch releases
-
Unconventional men’s tailoring to make an impression this winterThis winter’s men’s tailoring is defined by razor-sharp reinterpretations of classic silhouettes, designed to make you stand out over a celebratory season ahead
-
These top-handle bags are reinventing the classic accessoryFrom Prada to Hermès, these sleek top-handle bags riff on ladylike 1950s silhouettes in a way that’s anything but prim
-
These sculptural Ferragamo heels tell a story about the house’s historyFerragamo’s historic ‘Gancini’ logo becomes the gravity-defying heel of the ‘Elina’ sandal, one of British creative director Maximilian Davis’ first footwear designs for the Florentine house
-
‘A New Dawn’: Jackie Nickerson photographs first arrivals from Maximilian Davis’ FerragamoCapsule collection ‘A New Dawn’ marks the first opportunity to purchase Maximilian Davis’ designs for Ferragamo
-
Handbag brands: how to invest in a classic this autumnHandbag designers propose streamlined shapes which are proportioned to perfection
-
How to embrace the ostentation of Roaring Twenties fashionRip up your reductionist rule book. Prada, Saint Laurent, Salvatore Ferragamo and Pucci all propose exuberant pieces for Roaring Twenties fashion
-
How to shop more sustainably this summerWhat is sustainable fashion, and how can you shop with an environmentally friendly focus? Here, we present our checklist on how to look and feel good on the inside and out
-
Colourful sunglasses for cooling off in styleSummer's most eye-catching colourful sunglasses are found in a rainbow of seductive shades, and are a sure fire way for styling out a heatwave. Life just got a little brighter (and hotter)!
