“The Renaissance is hardwired into Florence, and Florence is hardwired into Ferragamo.” These are the words of Maximilian Davis, the young British designer who became Ferragamo’s creative director in 2022. For the house’s FW23 campaign, Davis wanted to return to not just the roots of Ferragamo, but to art itself.

“At this time of a new beginning at the house, it made perfect sense to reclaim the cradle of the Renaissance as our spiritual home, and to harness the deep, artistic spirit of this city to showcase the new collection,” Davis continues. Partnering with the Uffizi in Florence, the Ferragamo campaign sees familiar faces such as model Mona Tougaard and musician Kelela posed in front of classic works of Renaissance painting: the likes of Giorgio Vasari’s Portrait of Alessandro de Medici (1534), Botticelli’s The Annunciation of San Martino alla Scala (1481), and Piero della Francesca’s Diptych of Federico da Montefeltro and Battista Sforza (1467-1472). 

Palazzo Spini Feroni, the home Salvatore Ferragamo gave to his brand in Florence in 1927, dates back to the 13th century. The Palazzo, which is still Ferragamo’s headquarters, is emblematic of the Florentine bottega, the workshop or studio of the master artists and craftsmen. Renaissance culture is Ferragamo culture, and with this campaign, Davis melds the two with aplomb.