Maximilian Davis Presents a New Ferragamo Legacy for Spring 2027
It’s been nearly 100 years since the Italian fashion house Ferragamo was founded in 1927 by Salvatore Ferragamo. His designs dominated Hollywood’s Golden Age, especially when it came to his innovative footwear, which put anatomy at the center of design. Using everything from cellophane candy wrappers to wine corks, Ferragamo’s ingenious ideas—a necessity of wartime rations—fused form and function. All these years later, the label is still flourishing under creative director Maximilian Davis, who has been at the helm since 2022. Davis showcased his spring 2027 collection inside the Triennale Museum in Milan on September 26—a coed lineup full of paillette-studded gowns, sheer draped dresses, and dynamic pleated blouses. Anok Yai closed the show in a scintillating sequin number with the kind of cinematic movement and pizazz that Salvatore himself would have given a standing ovation.
The looks were inspired by a Lee Miller exhibition at the Musée d’Art Moderne de Paris from earlier this year, which Davis visited; he was particularly drawn to the photographer’s work from her time in Egypt. Safari references in the collection paired nicely with the utilitarian shapes of the 1940s, along with a hint of the textural finesse for which Davis has become so well-known. Think: sturdy leather blazers, liquid-like sash tops that trailed through the waistbands of belted pants and up the back, and glossy croc-effect jackets in luminous chocolate-browns and olive-greens. Shoulders were ultra-rounded, belts were doubled up at the waist, and buttery suedes and napa leathers were highlighted in tailored safari jackets. “I was inspired by the women of the era, who were taking ownership of their own narrative: who were subjects of imagery but also traveled the world to create their own,” wrote Davis in the show notes.
The sheer panels on skirts and the slipdresses rendered in belts across the bust played into some of the biggest trends of the season. Oversize suiting, skinny ties, and leather vests read as new classics. Pragmatic pockets were everywhere—on jackets, skirts, dresses, suit coats, and trousers. The mostly neutral-hued collection stood as a new representation of Italian craft, with pops of color that provided jolts of energy. Even one sideways glance at the patent-shine, steel-blue trench coat or the scarlet-red gown reveals Davis’s delicate hand and true knack for color.
Those aforementioned sequined gowns are sure to be celeb hits on the red carpet and beyond. It’s true that the Ferragamo label is gaining buzz, with both Rihanna and Pamela Anderson donning the brand’s extreme, antique-inspired super drop-waist gowns in copper and gold in the past week. With an eye on the future and a 100th year birthday on the horizon, the label feels like it’s branching out beyond a sole devotion to shoes and bags.
