“Elegance and comfort are not incompatible and those who support the opposite simply don’t know what they’re talking about.” — Salvatore Ferragamo.
This year, even the most fervent fashion-lovers have relaxed their dressing habits. Stuck inside their homes, there was all the more reason to dress for comfort. However, that’s not to say that comfort and sophistication are incompatible. Paul Andrew, the current creative director at Salvatore Ferragamo, has created a Pre-Fall 2021 collection that is the epitome of “elevated comfort.” Keeping to the classic Ferragamo ethos, Andrew’s latest men’s and women’s pieces strike the perfect balance between comfort and sophistication.
Elevated comfort isn’t Andrew’s only concern. Now more than ever, shoppers crave clothing options that are both sustainable and ethical. Taking these desires into consideration, Andrew steered this latest collection in a slow-fashion direction. Putting quality above quantity, the Pre-Fall 2021 line features 50% fewer pieces than his previous Spring RTW line. On top of that, Andrew opted for deadstock leather when crafting some of the collection’s most memorable pieces: like a multicolour nappa skirt featuring Ferragamo’s signature patchwork motif in blue and red.
In this collection, clean lines and roomy silhouettes are everywhere. A handful of leather trench coats are on show, each of them cinched in at the waist with a matching belt. Also, a pair of leggings — a comfy lockdown essential — peek out from underneath a bias panel skirt paired with a sleek polo jumper. Other eye-catching highlights include tailored blazers and matching sailor trousers; impeccable leather wrap dresses, and a few printed pieces like a red and black striped sleeveless jumper.
An elegant lookbook shot in Florence, Italy, accompanies the new collection. Models pose at the Manifattura Tabacchi: a former cigarette factory now repurposed into the Polimoda Fashion Institute campus. For Andrew, this grand setting represents creativity, youth, and enthusiasm. Naturally, he channels these optimistic concepts into his designs, using them to uplift a world recovering from hardship.
When commenting on the collection for a recent Vogue interview, Andrew said he views his current creative process as “a balancing act. Whatever you do, there must be some casualness and ease combined with high-values and sophistication, refinement, beauty.” And this thoughtful Pre-Fall collection delivers just that: sophistication and beauty that doesn’t sacrifice comfort. Ferragamo would be proud.
