Interview with Leonardo Ferragamo

It was the 1920s and Salvatore Ferragamo bore the title of "shoemaker to the stars", thanks to the magnificent footwear tailor-made for the stars of Hollywood. Today, the Salvatore Ferragamo brand is a piece of history – past, present and future – of Italian and world fashion. A family and a group serving creativity and styling, not just in luxury fashion design, but also in the top-end of the hotel industry with the Lungarno Hotel brand, present in Florence and in Rome.

After a brief visit to the Ferragamo Museum housed in Palazzo Spini Feroni, we met with Leonardo, managing director of the family group and Salvatore's son, in one of the suites in Hotel Lungarno itself, affording a breathtaking view over the Arno river and Ponte Vecchio.

Leonardo starts with memories of his father and describes the philosophy of Ferragamo creations through the classic shoes and bags, which remain contemporary. But also through the commitment to conveying their values consistently in the hospitality industry, with the Lungarno Hotel project. Not just a concept that includes the refined design of the furnishings and the excellent service provided, but most of all a project designed to create the right atmosphere and to make guests feel at home. "Without showing off or exaggerating, but also without hiding our passion and love for our work", Leonardo Ferragamo explains.

20 July 2011