MILAN — Proving just how serious Ferrari is about its fashion collection, the Italian luxury house will stage its first runway show in Milan on Feb. 27. The coed lineup follows the unveiling of the brand’s apparel project last June at Ferrari’s headquarters in Maranello.
“Showing in Maranello was a must for the launch and for this second chapter and the evolution of the collection, Milan was the obvious choice as Italy’s fashion capital, we simply had to be here,” explained brand diversification creative director Rocco Iannone.
Ferrari’s chairman John Elkann has repeatedly said that a luxury apparel collection is a long-term project for the brand, entailing global investments and opening dedicated stores in cities such as Milan and last November on Rodeo Drive. Iannone has been tasked with creating collections that would shift from Ferrari’s previous merchandising approach to ones that speak of design, fashion and lifestyle, reflecting the brand’s luxury positioning.
In an exclusive preview at Ferrari’s sprawling Milan offices and showroom, Iannone explained that while he approached the first collection with the brand’s instantly recognizable car designs in mind and returning full-circle to the curves of the anatomy, working on proportions, geometries and volumes, this lineup for fall was inspired by more immaterial and intangible elements, the idea of speed, and the concept of Futurism — the artistic movement deeply linked to Milan.
“This gave me more freedom to insert my own background and experience into the new designs, bringing my own world closer to Ferrari’s, interpreting the principles of technology and adapting them to fashion,” said Iannone, who translated his expertise working for brands including Giorgio Armani, Dolce & Gabbana and Pal Zileri into a sophisticated collection akin to haute couture given the level of manual craftsmanship, the precious fabrics and the technical materials he employed.
He cited jacquards where fibers derived from recycled plastic bottles are woven with “glow in the dark” yarns.
The highly resistant yet adaptable carbon fiber employed in automotive was used in a tailored jacket blended with wool for a 3D effect, with details such as a reflective piping.
“There is cross-pollination in tailoring, which is no longer the classic tailoring of yore. Traditional labeling is over,” said Iannone, showing how the jacket can be worn over drill cotton cargo jogger pants. A down jacket in lamb skin with macro logo lettering was super soft and cozy.
Knitwear ranged from loop sweaters to oversize styles revved up by flashes of bold colors — Ferrari red top of mind, of course.
A jumpsuit, “which is part of the Ferrari lexicon,” said Iannone, was rendered in leather with thermo-formed elements on the knees and the bust, which “only the best made in Italy suppliers can create.”
