Luxury house Ferragamo unveiled its Spring Summer 2026 collection during Milan Fashion Week. With the collection, Maximilian Davis takes us back to the decade that saw both the birth of the house and a seismic shift in style. Davis turns to the 1920s, reframing its eclectic energy through his precise lens. His starting point lies in the Ferragamo archive: a 1925 image of silent film star Lola Todd dressed entirely in leopard. That reference prompted a closer look at the prints and textures linked to the “Africana” movement of the jazz age. Davis explains that his interest lay in how imported materials from Africa and the Caribbean gained new status in American and European fashion. The collection channels that through silk satin devoré animal prints, jewellery cut from plongé leather, and fringed embellishments that echo the Roaring Twenties.
The era’s sense of liberation shapes the silhouettes. Davis explores speakeasy tailoring and slip dresses cut straight with lace insets. Dropped waists and low backs underline the relaxed yet assertive femininity of the decade. Davis describes this as a time when women asserted freedom and reclaimed identity, rebelling against social codes through clothing. The Harlem Renaissance provides reference points for menswear, with zoot suits and expressive dandyism shaping the mood. Men’s ties reappear as scarf sashes wrapped around tuxedo waists or reassembled into patchwork dresses, reinforcing the theme of reinvention.
Colour and graphic detail extend the archival dialogue. Davis borrows from the vivid illustrations of the period, translating their geometry into saturated patent leathers detailed with Gancini fastenings. Fine-gauge knits mirror that sense of clarity, while floral motifs in silk crepon follow placement inspired by historical references. These touches emphasize how archival imagery guides the present season’s palette and textures.
FERRAGAMO SS26 Backstage
Footwear carries the same archival rigor. The sculptural “S” heel builds on the earlier “F” style, while a caged leather pump updates the historic Kimo shoe. Gancini chains encircle the ankles of sharply cut pumps, and satin boudoir mules feature dense bead embroidery. Strappy stilettos wrap the foot in bows, creating sculptural lines. For men, Davis revisits archival footwear through an elongated derby, paired with polished leather slippers and sandals designed for ease. Each piece establishes a dialogue between Ferragamo’s history and contemporary needs.
Accessories round out the collection with equal emphasis on the archive. The Hug bag returns in multiple new finishes, including patent and woven leathers, stamped croc, and nubuck suede. The folded foulard-inspired bag carries seasonal colours and prints, completed with detachable Gancini hardware. A compact wrist bag from the archives appears with a golden Gancini clasp, while other models carry feather embellishments and fringed details. For men, the Hug and Sailor bags receive woven leather treatments that underline Ferragamo’s artisanal codes.
The Ferragamo Spring Summer 2026 collection is a reflection of freedom and reinvention, using the house’s origins in the 1920s to inform each category. Through archival excavation and a sharp understanding of cultural exchange, Davis presents a collection that looks back while addressing contemporary style with clarity.
