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Salvatore Ferragamo Women’s Shoes
Salvatore Ferragamo was an Italian shoe designer who lived from 1898 to 1960. In the 1920's he worked with a number of Hollywood stars before moving back to Italy to establish Salvatore Ferragamo Italia S.p.A., which was incorporated in 1927. He produced unique hand-made footwear, and his company became the parent company for the Ferragamo Group based in Florence, Italy.
He had an approach to shoes which was both creative and scientific, and he is most widely known for his creation of the wedge heel and the cage heel. His company evolved into what is now one of the top brands in fashion for luxury goods, with many celebrities and movie stars still purchasing goods from his company today. The company now distributes not only highly fashionable shoes, but also leather goods, silk products and accessories, fragrances for both men and women, watches, and eyewear.
In 1995 at the Palazzo Spini Ferroni in Florence, the Salvatore Ferragamo Museum was opened, which was dedicated to the history and footwear produced by his company. The museum had a re-opening in 2006 when it was moved to the basement of the Plaza Spini Ferroni. The museum is made up of four rooms and includes a collection of over 10,000 models of shoes that were made up by Ferragamo over the forty year period that he was involved in the industry. It also has a large document archive, a clothing collection from 1959 on up, a handbag collection from 1970, and a collection of 18th and 19th century period shoes.
Salvatore Ferragamo was known to fashion shoes for some of the most powerful and richest women in the world. He made shoes for the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Eva Peron, and Maharani of Cooch Behar. Ferragamo is remembered as a visionary to his trade, creating designs that sometimes were elegant and traditional, as well as at times conspicuously bizarre. Many footwear designers throughout the years have been inspired by the work of this shoe designing pioneer.
The Ferragamo company that he started back in the late 1920's is still run by the Ferragamo family, with his wife Wanda taking over as Honorary Chairman upon his death in 1960, and Ferruccio Ferragamo now holding the title of President.
