Salvatore Ferragamo: 80 years of fashion, cinema and the arts

Stores Specialists Inc. — together with Citibank and its wealth management banking service Citigold — pays tribute to iconic fashion brand Salvatore Ferragamo, which has created an indelible mark in cinema and the arts through its unique perspective and passion for Italian creativity as the brand celebrates its 80th anniversary today at Manila Peninsula. 

The brand will also launch its latest collection featuring elegant dresses, dapper suits, and chic accessories during the event to be graced by Salvatore Ferragamo’s regional CEO Paul Cadman and director Christian Foddis.

Ferragamo’s link with cinema started in the early ’20s when the young Italian shoemaker immigrated to California, making sandals and boots for epic and western movies in the Hollywood studios. Thus began the young Italian’s ascent to success in Hollywood as he soon became famous as the “Shoemaker to the Stars,” thanks to the beauty and comfort of his handmade creations. With the opening of his Hollywood Boot Shop in 1923, he lent his craftsmanship to some of the most highly acclaimed movies at that time, such as The Ten Commandments (Cecil B. De Mille, 1924), King of Kings (Cecil B. De Mille, 1927) and Thief of Baghdad (Raoul Walsh, 1924).

Always on the lookout for new inspiration and ideas, Salvatore Ferragamo turned to fashion and culture in search of contemporary artists for new insight. Since his death in the ’60s, the company continues to carry on this inspiration and supports initiatives in the arts and culture sector.

For the latest collection, the brand offers a new line of bags and shoes that showcase the finest in Italian craftsmanship. The shoes boast detailed stitching and the exquisite choice of leathers result in bold finishing and extraordinary matte effects. Messenger bags come in glossy calfskin and ostrich.

The Salvatore Ferragamo collection for women is all about simplicity of form, richness of materials, and absolute mastery of construction techniques. Women’s shoes come in natural shades of white and dark gray. There are also open-toe shoes in Hardwick snakeskin. Shoe of the year Varina unleashes plays of light with its patent leather and is graced with satin and velvet in key colors such as green, cyclamen and chocolate. Each bag is made from a single hide of leather featuring various other precious materials.

The brand has come up with its first watch collection called Timepieces as a celebration of the company’s milestone. Created under a licensing agreement with the Swiss luxury division of the Timex Group, the high-end ergonomic watches, inspired by the brand’s historic designs, were made using only the most exclusive materials.

To be launched also is the F-80 leather collection, which draws its inspiration from the F-80 watch. Fine details embellish the collection to create a modern and sleek look. All handbags for the F-80 leather collection will have a Salvatore Ferragamo silver metal logo plate and a matching travel pouch to complete the look for the stylish F-80 line.

Recently, Red Cross blood services program chairman Rosa Rosal asked the help of Stores Specialists Inc. president Nedy Tantoco in purchasing a refrigerated centrifuge, which the Red Cross urgently needs. A refrigerated centrifuge is a machine that separates whole blood into different blood components (packed red blood cell, platelets and plasma) in a controlled-temperature environment.   The machine functions by rotating at a specific speed, thus, the different blood components separate due to their difference in density. Through the help of this machine, three patients can possibly benefit from a single donation.

The event is presented by Stores Specialists Inc., together with Citibank and Citigold, with the support of Ralph’s Wine & Spirits.

Salvatore Ferragamo is exclusively distributed by Stores Specialists Inc. (SSI) and is located at Power Plant Mall, Greenbelt 4, Rustan’s Tower, Rustan’s Makati and Rustan’s Ayala Cebu.