Fashion loves a comeback and the most interesting luxury fashion project now plays out in an unexpected Florentine house with unparalleled history. While everyone is closely watching the mounting trouble of the Kering empire where no brand seems to be firing on all cylinders, designer Maximilian Davis is giving himself a second start at Ferragamo. Let’s remember that Davis had his first show for Ferragamo four years ago, when he was installed by then CEO Marco Gobbetti who joined with much fanfare from Burberry and had the Phoebe-Philo-Céline (yes, those years with the accent aigu) success years under his belt. Davis was a daring choice for Ferragamo, but somehow the project never really took off, Davis had good shows but nothing that ever ignited major excitement. And this is where we come to the core of the story: A designer needs time at a house to define his codes and develop a clear vocabulary. Ferragamo parted ways with Gobbetti a while ago and then focused on its history to turn the ship around. Clever marketing based on shoes – a recent men’s presentation around shoes alone at The Wilde, a members club here in Brera in Milan – and this gave Davis the opportunity to work a bit in the shadow while everyone in the industry expected him to be let go without Gobbetti’s protection. But the family was smart, stuck with him and Davis is now shining with accomplished tailoring, sexy but classy dresses and an even more major lineup of leather goods.

What stands out?

Davis has now found the sweet spot of juxtaposing his natural talent of draping fabric around the female form to exude fluidity and let his military-inspired tailoring give a clear structure. Davis is a master at placing buttons and pockets to create visual newness. Plus, the see-through skintight latex-like dresses were standouts.

The belts?

Of course, belts are a core business for Ferragamo, but Davis used them to divide his silhouette, placing them on super-short jackets and high-waisted skirts to create a striking silhouette and an interesting power play between the wearer’s top and bottom halves, furthermore adding to the strong leather goods canon in the boutiques.