Lewis Hamilton might have brought his statement fashion-looks into Ferrari, but the feeling is more than mutual. Tommy Hilfiger has just announced a new partnership with the F1 Academy, to help champion female talent in the industry. While, at Milan Fashion Week — with Georgia May Jagger resplendent in pillar box red leather on the front row — Ferrari presented its latest super luxe show.
Having shown on the official schedule at MFW since 2022, this is a serious proposition, bolstered by the presence of Anna Wintour who attended the show.
The collections are designed by Rocco Iannone, who joined as creative director in 2019 tasked with overseeing Ferrari’s then-new expansion in luxury fashion. His clothes are now sold globally online and in a handful of Ferrari boutiques in Italy and the US; there is also an atelier capsule collection which is made to order in custom fits. Prior to his appointment he had stints at Pal Zileri and Giorgio Armani. Ergo, a decent design pedigree, which was apparent in the show which featured Irina Shayk, Natasha Poly and Mariacarla Boscono.
In a world where all is entertainment and brands are hell-bent on immersive world building, the idea of a supercar manufacturer diverging into fashion to provide its fans with a full throttle experience — head-to-toe — isn’t so farfetched.
On Iannone’s mood board was Madonna photographed by Herb Ritts, that iconic black and white slicked back hair shot — which set the tone for a collection which fused body and sexiness together.
“I really like the work that Herb Ritts did around exploring the body and the strength of the body” he said, adding that “Ferrari is the result of this continued tension between performance technology and haute couture because Ferrari is the haute couture of the automotive world.”
The show opened with that seductive bright red in technical knitwear shaped architecturally around the body, paired with patent leather couture-style driving gloves and asymmetrically-hemmed full skirts. Iannone then delved into his wet-look patina, creating hi-shine black and silver looks intended to mimic liquid reflections. “Reflecting can expand the colour, transforming itself into something else” he said.
Who wears these clothes? Iannone offers that he thinks about “people with a strong confidence and that are able to express themselves. Confidence and sensuality are part of our narrative and my vision of the world.” It is, in other words, bold fashion for the absolutely not faint hearted. On that, he delivered —- and covered off a few of the week’s trends too — sharp tailoring, those aforementioned statement gloves and liquid silk gowns — are all key themes for next winter. A winning formula.
