"A New Dawn," the name of Maximillian Davis' Ferragamo Spring/Summer 2023 collection, is apt. Davis' debut line totally remodels the Italian luxury house, retaining the core ideology that's internally powered Ferragamo for decades while giving its exterior a fresh coat of paint.
Ferragamo's signature red hue is omnipresent, a tangible link to legacy. It colors a collection of clothing that must be Ferragamo's sexiest to date (the house describes Davis' aesthetic as "sensual"). This is Ferragamo sans Salvatore.
Still, the blood of the label's cobbler founder continues to run through Ferragamo's veins.
You can see Salvatore's influence in the richly detailed leather handbags, the minimalist leather footwear, and the gleam of technical layering pieces, some of which are burnished akin to a pair of artisanal shoes.
It ties back in with Davis' mastery of quiet lust. The collection, which premiered last autumn in Milan, is packed with plenty of comparatively subdued garments — sandy trench coats, technical hooded parkas — the overarching air is unabashedly slinky.
Dresses cling to flesh revealing bare skin underneath, tailored garments are transformed into vests that expose bare arms, and even more masculine codes, like a cargo-pocketed M-51-style parka, are rendered feminine by sheer textiles.
If a shirt has buttons, they're undone nearly to the navel. If a four-pocket denim-style trouser is on hand, it's softened by glittery sequins. Silk scarves drape over tunic tops, trousers are flared to lengthen the leg, and a sunset degradé lends the graceful garments an air of wistfulness.
To get an even better look at Davis' vision for Ferragamo SS23, view the seasonal lookbook below (premiered exclusively in its entirety by Highsnobiety):
When presented as a whole, Ferragamo SS23 affects the air of nomadic elves roaming a desert landscape in search of the next bacchanal.
Care to join?
