"New fashion begins in the mind of the designer." Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo was born in Italy in 1898. He was 9 years old when he made his first pairs of shoes, for his sisters to wear at their first communions. Five years later, he opened a store based in his parents' home, and in 1914 he emigrated to Boston.
He and his brothers moved to California, and settled in Hollywood, where he soon became a shoe designer for movie studios.
He had acquired the moniker of "Shoemaker to the Stars" when he returned to Italy in 1927 and settled in Florence. He reestablished his shoemaking business there.
Ferragamo sought inspiration from art and architecture for his shoes, and his design drawings included precise models for the construction of each pair.
He experimented intensely with new designs, and received 350 design and utility patents. Among his inventions were the steel arch support, wedge heels, platform soles, cage heels, and the steel shaft inside spike heels (making the modern stiletto heel possible).
He also experimented with cellophane for the body of shoes, and brought back cork and wood for the soles.
Ferragamo continued to be a favorite shoe designer of Hollywood stars, outfitting screen legends such as Lillian Gish, Sophia Loren, Marilyn Monroe, Greta Garbo, Audrey Hepburn, and Marlene Dietrich.
His most famous shoe creations were the ruby slippers Dorothy wore in The Wizard of Oz. His "invisible shoes," made with transparent nylon thread uppers, won him the Neiman Marcus Prize in 1947. Ferragamo died in 1960, and his wife Wanda and their six children took over management of the company.
Salvatore Ferragamo has expanded into producing luxury clothing, accessories, perfumes, and eyewear while maintaining its reputation for glamorous, flattering shoes.
Wanda ran the company, while Fiamma was in charge of shoe design and production, Giovanna created the women's ready-to-wear clothing line, Ferruccio assisted his mother in management, Massimo headed North American operations, Leonardo headed Asian operations and was in charge of marketing, and Fulvia was in charge of accessories. Fiamma died in 1998.
The Salvatore Ferragamo Museum in Florence opened in 1995.