Debuting on June 13 in Ferrari’s factory in Maranello, Italy, Ferrari’s first-ever clothing collection ushered in a new age for the Marque. Enlisting the design expertise of Rocco Iannone, who has previously designed for Dolce & Gabbana, Armani, and Pal Zileri, Ferrari went where no car brand has been before with a collection to rival its historical couture compatriots.
Sure, it was a surprising move by a Marque that has found more than a home for itself in the world of motoring. But Ferrari’s history is dotted with boundary-pushing moments, and the clothing collection joins the endless list of successful gambles made by the Prancing Horse. The overwhelming feeling of Ferrari’s foray into fashion was that car design isn’t so far away from clothing design. Seeing as Ferraris are inspired by the organic curves and lines of human anatomy, the garments naturally followed the same rules. The outcome was a collection that felt profoundly ‘Ferrari’; an expert translation of the label’s values and defining characteristics but without a V12 engine in sight.
On the heels of the first drop, we’re now being treated to part two of Ferrari’s debut collection. The second installment focuses on the unmistakable branding of the Marque for its foundation. Pieces revolve around the popular iconography and bold typography that have typified Ferrari’s output since it was founded. These logos and motifs have — like Ferrari itself — grown to become household names, weaving themselves deeply into the fabric of contemporary popular culture. As such, they make the perfect assets for experimentation: subversion, repetition, and remixing give the symbols new meaning.
Inspired by features in Ferrari Magazine during the ‘50s & ‘60s — a time when illustration was the universal visual language — the second drop of the Ferrari collection is a playful take on the Marque’s defining logos. While reinvented logos form the patterns, the silhouettes, and materials side with the demure. Delicate pieces like silk skirts and shirts exist in contrast to the bold, stacked logos that detail every inch of them. Much like traditional cravatteria designs, from a distance, the repeated patterns appear like the abstract shapes and stripes we see in neckties, but up close they become unmistakable shards of Ferrari’s identity. It’s a nod to the Marque’s history as well as a suggestion of the brave new world that the Prancing Horse has reached.
Putting historical significance aside, the characterizing patterns of the second collection are visually powerful. As luxury fashion matures from the logomania era, Ferrari’s hypnotic use of brand insignia presents a logical next step. It retains the striking, unmissable quality but the creativity in subverting and remolding the logos brings design merit to the detailing, ensuring that it’s not just a show of logo power (which Ferrari has in abundance, by the way.)
While the first drop of the Ferrari collection was the Marque asserting its technical ability in the world of fashion, the second drop is Ferrari proving that it has its finger on the pulse. The sharp tailoring and high-end materials bridge the two halves of the collection, but the gutsy detailing is a figurative turbo injection. It adds personality, modernizes the offering, and shows that Ferrari knows how to have fun. As if a crackling F40 in shining Rosso Corsa didn’t already prove that…
Shop the second drop of the Ferrari collection here.
