Inevitably, every fashion week seems to yield at least one collection related to ballet. In London, Simone Rocha had tutus galore, and at Ferragamo in Milan, Maximilian Davis paraded practice uniforms – tights, bodysuits, wrap tops and the like – and tucked a Hug bag into each off-duty look.
It turns out the Florentine house created its first ballerina shoes in the ’30s, and Davis unearthed from the archive a tender, mid-century photo of founder Salvatore Ferragamo fitting the feet of African-American dancer and choreographer Katherine Dunham.
The narrative extended into menswear, since Russian ballet star Rudolf Nureyev also danced in Ferragamo shoes in the ’80s, a decade which was also felt in Davis’ use of parachute fabrics and washed silks, and such styles as low-slung, oversized trench coats and blousons with hip belts.
Some of the clothes had drama, especially billowing opera coats in suede or nylon, cocoon-shaped evening dresses, and voluptuous leather blousons and pea coats.
“When the models are moving, you really capture that essence of freedom,” Davis said backstage before the show, which took place in a circular, curtained and carpeted space the color of putty.
Many other exits felt familiar and didn’t take flight: vaguely military jackets and coats, this time in crinkly fabrics and with panels that can be buttoned on and off, or partially, so they hang and drift.
Davis noted that Dunham once did a research tour of the Caribbean, where the designer has roots, so he included some frayed denim for suiting, and jelly-like moccasins. Despite the overarching theme, the show had very few ballerina shoes.
Perhaps not surprisingly, this dalliance with dance has ignited an ambition in Davis to costume a ballet. “It’s something that I would definitely like to do in the future,” he said, flashing a big smile.
