One hundred years ago, in Hollywood, Salvatore Ferragamo opened his first store. In Florence &quot;Salvatore Ferragamo: 1898 - 1960&quot; celebrates the man who knew how to captivate film stars, celebrities and queens with his creations...

Exactly one hundred years have passed since <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/ferragamo-collection-pre-fall-autumn-2023-photo-bag-wanda" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Salvatore Ferragamo</a> inaugurated his first store in Hollywood , confirming the success achieved in the United States, where he had emigrated in 1915. His shoes became very famous at the time thanks to the commissions for famous films such as "The Ten Commandments " by Cecil B. DeMille and for the film stars who went crazy for his silhouettes, from Greta Grabo to Gloria Swanson . Exploring the life of Salvatore Ferragamo , the exhibition "Salvatore Ferragamo: 1898 - 1960" at the Ferragamo Museum in Florence from 27 October 2023 to 4 November 2024, highlights the contribution of the &laquo;shoemaker to the stars&raquo; to the rebirth of <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/fashion/ferragamo-enters-a-new-renaissance-for-its-autumn-winter-2023-campaign" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Italian craftsmanship</a> and the importance of local design, based on the mix of tradition and innovation.

Salvatore Ferragamo presents some shoe models to Audrey Hepburn on the occasion of the actress's visit to Palazzo Spini Feroni, 1954 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Sophia Loren and Salvatore Ferragamo during the evening at the Open Gate Club in Rome to celebrate the new patent for sea leopard skin. Ferragamo tries on the actress a needle lace shoe from Tavarnelle, 28 February 1955 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Lauren Bacall wears Ferragamo shoes shortly after her marriage to Humphrey Bogart, 1946 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Anna Magnani and Salvatore Ferragamo at Palazzo Spini Feroni during the fitting of the Ranina sandal, 1955 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Greta Garbo walks wearing her favorite Ferragamo shoes through London with photographer Cecil Beaton, wearing her favorite Ferragamo shoes, November 17, 1951 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Hollywood divas and celebrities

Ferragamo 's relationship with his customers, who categorised them into "Cinderellas," "Venuses" and "Aristocrats" - based on their preference for footwear and their lifestyle - is told in the section "Famous Shoes and Feet " of the exhibition "Salvatore Ferragamo: 1898 - 1960" . Stars such as Pola Negri, Mary Pickford, Joan Crawford, Rudolph Valentino , but also dancers, directors and producers passed through the Hollywood Boot Shop . By Gloria Swanson and Claudette Colbert who they preferred classic shoes, to Marlene Dietrich who opted for fashionable models. 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 Per&oacute;n exotic Argentine leathers. Ferragamo 's creativity adapted to various personalities, from <a href="https://www.lofficielibiza.com/portraits/marilyn-monroe-media-legacy-nude-playboy-photos-body" target="_blank" rel="noopener">Marilyn Monroe</a> with her beloved stiletto heels to Greta Garbo who loved shoes with a masculine allure.

Rainbow sandal made for actress Judy Garland, 1938 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Closed-toe sandal with damask lamé silk fabric upper, vinylite sole and mica heel, 1955 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Madonna, Tavarnelle needle lace and kid sandal with beaded appliqués, made for Sophia Loren, 1955 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Iride, Tavarnelle needle lace and kid décolleté, 1930-1936 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Damigella, ankle boot model in stretch brocade fabric and high heel. The model was created for Sophia Loren, 1957 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Lace-up shoe with cotton thread patchwork upper, 1935-1938 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Closed-stitch sandal with upper in Tavarnelle needle lace and kid with sequin application, heel decorated with rhinestones, 1950-1952 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Décolleté with calfskin upper with suede applications, 1939 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Model of sandal with soutache and cellophane upper, 1957-1958 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Décolleté model with calfskin upper and silk thread embroidery, 1930-1935 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Rainbow, décolleté model in suede and silk thread embroidery, 1935 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Lace-up shoe with one-piece suede upper with slightly rising toe, made for Lauren Bacall, 1946 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Sandal model with upper made of kid leather straps, 1930 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Who was Salvatore Ferragamo?

<div class="flex-1 overflow-hidden"><div class="react-scroll-to-bottom--css-znlqq-79elbk h-full dark:bg-gray-800"><div class="react-scroll-to-bottom--css-znlqq-1n7m0yu"><div class="flex flex-col text-sm dark:bg-gray-800"><div class="group final-completion w-full text-token-text-primary border-b border-black/10 gizmo:border-0 dark:border-gray-900/50 gizmo:dark:border-0 bg-gray-50 gizmo:bg-transparent dark:bg-[#444654] gizmo:dark:bg-transparent" data-testid="conversation-turn-3"><div class="p-4 justify-center text-base md:gap-6 md:py-6 m-auto"><div class="flex flex-1 gap-4 text-base mx-auto md:gap-6 gizmo:gap-3 gizmo:md:px-5 gizmo:lg:px-1 gizmo:xl:px-5 md:max-w-2xl lg:max-w-[38rem] gizmo:md:max-w-3xl gizmo:lg:max-w-[40rem] gizmo:xl:max-w-[48rem] xl:max-w-3xl }"><div class="relative flex w-[calc(100%-50px)] flex-col gizmo:w-full lg:w-[calc(100%-115px)] agent-turn"><div class="flex-col gap-1 md:gap-3"><div class="flex flex-grow flex-col gap-3 max-w-full"><div class="min-h-[20px] flex flex-col items-start gap-3 whitespace-pre-wrap break-words overflow-x-auto"><div class="markdown prose w-full break-words dark:prose-invert light"> Salvatore Ferragamo was born on 5 June 1898 in Bonito, Irpinia. Despite his father&#39;s disagreement, he becomes passionate about the shoemaking profession. The family is too poor to afford to buy Salvatore&#39;s sisters shoes for their first communion. At 9 years old he made his first pairs of shoes. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">The premature death of his father left the family destitute and in 1912 Salvatore went to Naples where he learned the art of shoemaking. A short time later he returned to Bonito where he opened a shoemaking business. In 1915, he decided to emigrate to America , where he worked in a machine-made shoe factory but was dissatisfied with the quality. He moved to California, where he opened a custom shoe repair and shoe shop.</div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div></div>

Postcard of the Ferragamo & C. shoe factory in via Mannelli 57 in Florence (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Lucio Venna, Advertising poster created for Salvatore Ferragamo, 1928 Florence, Ferragamo Museum (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Lucio Venna, Advertising sketch for Salvatore Ferragamo, 1930 Florence, Ferragamo Museum (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Salvatore Ferragamo &#39;s entry into the world of cinema happened by chance, one of the brothers ironed the stage clothes of the nascent Hollywood industry. After the first successes - boots for western films, footwear of all kinds for the blockbusters of the time - Salvatore Ferragamo &#39;s fame grew beyond belief. He understands <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">the importance of arch support for fit after taking anatomy courses at the University of California. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">In 1923, Ferragamo moved his business to Hollywood , where he purchased the license of the Hollywood Boot Shop , located across the street from Grauman&#39;s Egyptian Theater on Hollywood Boulevard . During this period he collaborated with famous directors such as Cecil B. DeMille, David Wark Griffith and Raoul Walsh , creating footwear for their films. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">After two years, Salvatore Ferragamo opens a new store at 6683 Hollywood Boulevard, becoming a point of reference for celebrities and film stars. His fame grew to such an extent that the shop itself appeared in some films of the time, such as &quot;Show People&quot; by King Vidor in 1928. Having become an American citizen, in 1927 he returned to Italy, to Florence, where he opened a factory by uniting the local craftsmanship with the American production system. His <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">goal? Expand the production of Italian artisan footwear and distribute it in the United States through the Hollywood store.

The actress Joan Crawford with Salvatore Ferragamo in the Hollywood Boot Shop, 1920s (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Model of sandal with kid upper and pyramid brass heel, 1930 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Lace-up shoe with kid upper and heel decorated by hand with a floral motif with the Ferra-gamo Inc. label. Florence (Italy) – Hollywood (California), 1927 (Courtesy Ferragamo)

Salvatore Ferragamo with actress Kathleen Key on the Argonaut, the Southern Pacific train that connected Los Angeles to New Orleans (Courtesy Ferragamo)

The 1929 crisis also had an impact on <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">Salvatore Ferragamo &#39;s shoe factory. He declared bankruptcy in 1933 and reopened a workshop and shop in the name of his sisters. He moved the business to Palazzo Altoviti Sangalletti, which in 1942 became the headquarters of Ferragamo . <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">From the end of the 1930s Ferragamo opened shops in Rome, Milan, the United States, Berlin and London. In 1937 Vogue USA published the first wedge sandal by Ferragamo <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">. The company has 400 employees and production amounts to 200 pairs of shoes per day. <span style="background-color: transparent; font-family: inherit; font-size: inherit; font-style: inherit; font-variant-ligatures: inherit; font-variant-caps: inherit; font-weight: inherit; letter-spacing: 0px;">In 1951, Ferragamo participated in the first Italian fashion show organized by Giovanni Battista Giorgini at Villa Torrigiani in Florence. He died on 7 August 1960 in Italy, leaving the company to his wife Wanda.

Salvatore Ferragamo His Life and Creations on Exhibition in Florence

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