Ferragamo's Resort Collection at the Louvre: Italian Fashion Meets Parisian Sensibility

| Tue, 06/19/2012 - 09:16
Ferragamo

After single-handedly sponsoring the Louvre's exhibit centring around Leonardo da Vinci's "Saint Anne", Ferrgamo has finally claimed its priceless prize: the first ever runway show staged inside the museum in the Louvre's 900-year existence.

The show, streamed on the Ferragamo website and Vogue.uk, featured 40 models on a 140-metre catwalk, the longest ever utilised in a Paris fashion show. Ferragamo's CEO Michele Norsa told The Guardian, "We want to prove that our shoes can walk a long way"--a sentiment evident in the stylish yet sturdy python snakeskin boots strutting down the narrow runway.

Creative director and chief designer Massimiliano Giornetti was the star of the evening, talking to the press about how he used the building of the Louvre as the inspiration for this collection and sought harmony with the catwalk's surroundings through a palette of sand and dusty pink. The desert colours also translated to Native-American-influenced design elements, including copious use of fringed leather, overhand stitching, and knot work.

Fashion buyers, press, and VIPs, including actresses Hilary Swank from the U.S., Fan Bingbing from China, and Freida Pinto from India, lined the sides of the catwalk during the three-minutes show. Afterwards, the exclusive group descended beneath the Louvre's glass pyramid for a cocktail reception and private dinner.