There is a high-octane buzz circling Maximilian Davis. The designer, who showed his sophomore collection for Ferragamo at Milan’s MiCo convention centre, is generating new heights of attention focused on the next chapter of the heritage brand. For fall 2023, he looked in both directions of the past and the present, remixing silhouettes from the 1950s with contemporary wardrobe pieces to wear today.
This came to life in a highly wearable collection that made nods both to uniform dressing, seen elsewhere on the runways this month, and elevated occasion wear, needed to fill a wardrobe gap after years spent inside. A neutral palette of grey, white and black workwear (button-down balloon-sleeve jackets and coordinated leggings; short-suits with fitted blazers, cinched at the waist; trench coats in cotton and suede) established a muted yet solid foundation, foreshadowing pops of colour. Surely enough, brights followed. Highlighter hues and primary shades emerged via parkas with matching pants in azure blue and sunflower yellow, plus textural outerwear and tailoring in scarlet and fire engine red for added oomph.
Though the enduring popularity of patent leather and hi-shine fabrics may invite controversy, they worked here. Dresses in midi and mini-length versions with scooped necklines and genderless jackets that playfully reflected in the light evoked cool girl ease-of-wear, while long-sleeved ruched versions in silver and red, wrapped around the body like tinsel, proved ripe for party dressing. These were incontestable winners, and Davis would do well to devote more energy to exploring them in greater depth.
That said, this collection, like his last, left one wanting more. It’s testament to the designer’s capability to adapt a wealth of influences into his own distinct body of work. That Davis can uplift sweetheart necklines, for example, from decades past and counterbalance saccharine elements with a street sensibility is no small feat. The designer may be conscious of acknowledging the past in his rear-view, but Ferragamo’s future looks promising under his helm.
This article originally appeared on GRAZIA AU