Designer Bios

Salvatore Ferragamo is iconic. Ferragamo created Dorothy's red slippers for The Wizard of Oz. That is a true fashion icon.

From Italy to a boot factory in Boston to Hollywood's back lots and back to Italy. That is Salvatore Ferragamo's career before he became a true fashion star. In 1929, Ferragamo opened his own shop, near Florence. While the depression hurt Ferragamo's business, resulting in bankruptcy in 1933, Ferragamo began to create the signature style and craftsmanship that still defines the brand today.

Starting with made to measure footwear to the stars of the day, Ferragamo continued to innovate, experimenting with new designs and materials. Ferragamo invented the "cage heel" which has been a seminal influence on shoe design since its debut.

By the 1950's Ferragamo has broadened his offering from fine shoes to accessories and ready to wear apparel. His signature designs range from the true objet d'art to the simply fashionable. But like many true innovators, Salvatore Ferragamo's designs have inspired scores of other designers, and inspired art and artistry in and outside the fashion world.

His death in 1962 did not end the company or its innovation. His eldest daughter, Vara, continued to innovate in structure and design, and launched the "Vara pump" in 1978. With the Ferragamo family still heading the company, Ferragamo designs and innovations continue. With an aesthetic that is both classic and inspired, Ferragamo styles continue to dominate the fashion world as expressions of luxury, of joy, and of individuality. View Ferragamo products >