Ferragamo thinking of appointing Paul Andrew as footwear designer?

By

Dominique Muret

Translated by
Nicola Mira

Published
Aug 24, 2016

The creative department at Salvatore Ferragamo is buzzing. The Italian luxury label was left without a creative director after the departure of Massimiliano Giornetti in March and, according to US magazine WWD, it is thinking about putting British designer Paul Andrew in charge of its footwear collection. 

For the time being the label is hiding behind a "no comment", stating however that a press release may be issued "shortly". If the appointment is confirmed, Paul Andrew would become the first creative director of a Salvatore Ferragamo footwear collection, truly the core of the Florentine label's expertise.

Ferragamo is in the midst of a management transition: it is being led since August by Eraldo Poletto, who left his position as General Manager of Italian leather goods manufacturer Furla to succeed Michele Norsa. This appointment may actually herald a change in strategy, with an even stronger focus being put on accessories.

Paul Andrew, 37, is renowned for his great technical savvy and sophisticated style, both contemporary and glamour, embodied by his famous stiletto heels, at once vertiginous and comfy. The British designer relies on Italian manufacturing workshops, which combine craftsmanship with state-of-the-art technology.

Paul Andrew was born in the UK and is a graduate of the Berkshire College of Art and Design. He began his career at Alexander McQueen, before moving to New York in 1999 to join Narciso Rodriguez.

He was soon successful with his own brand, launched in 2013, featuring a line of women's shoes to which he recently added a men's range. The lines are distributed via some of the world's best stores, from Saks to Colette and Luisa Via Roma.

Andrew is well-known in the USA, where he was awarded several prizes, including the CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund in 2014 and the Swarovski prize at the 2016 CFDA Awards. The talented designer also worked on a series of collaborations, notably with Donna Karan, Michael Kors, Calvin Klein and Ralph Lauren.