đź’ Paul Andrew for VOGUE Japan
This article first appeared in the VOGUE JAPAN June 2017 Issue No. 214.
PAUL ANDREW
VOGUE Japan June 2017
As far as first impressions go Paul Andrew knows how to make an impact. On the top floor of the Salvatore Ferragamo headquarters in Milan he greets me inside a giant glass veranda. There, the city’s rooftops frame an impressive display of his first shoe collection for the house. It’s a momentous occasion considering that Andrew is first person to every hold the title of design director of woman’s footwear for the brand since its illustrious founder Salvatore Ferragamo.
If he is feeling the pressure of having such enormous shoes to fill, you wouldn’t know it by looking at him. “Its beautiful up here isn’t it,” are the first words out of Andrew’s mouth as he takes in the view with an easy smile on his face.
But he is also eager to show off his debut runway collection. Picking up one pair after another to explain what exactly makes those shoes so special. “ The most important thing is, as much time I spend designing this collection, I also spend time reworking the fit and the construction of the shoes for Ferragamo,” he said.
Many people think that Andrew should feel right at home at Ferragamo. For years he has earned a reputation for creating chicly shaped footwear that never sacrifice comfort for style. And in 2014 he took home the top award at the prestigious CFDA/Vogue Fashion Fund prize. He is also one of the most prolific shoemakers in the industry. When he accepted the position at Ferragamo he ended over 14 shoe designing contracts he held with leading fashion houses like Diane Von Furstenberg, Donna Karan and Alexander McQueen. Only holding onto his own signature label that he will continue to design in tandem with his work at Ferragamo.
Here Andew explains some of the cool new features he has incorporated into his Ferragamo designs, how the female foot has changed since Salvatore was in charge and reveals one of his secret talents.
What was it like to you when you came on board at Ferragamo and first got you hands on those amazing archives? Because you, like Salvatore, have been passionate about shoes all your life.
I have! Well, I knew a lot of his shoes already. There were a lot of museums pieces in display. But to actually have the great honor and pleasure to see how they were crafted. And there are actually shoes that I found in the archive that I don’t think anyone has ever seen before. He was a genius and to have inherited the keys to that archive is pretty much the most incredible honor and privilege for anyone.
So when the Ferragamo family approached you did you even hesitate to say yes to the job?
It was a very organic process. They have been, the Ferragamo family, were following my career for a little while now. We also share a similar sense of values in design, in quality and for color... And I think those things really appealed to them. It’s family; it feels like I am part of that family. It’s really an amazing thing.
You mentioned earlier when we started looking at the shoes that you wanted to “rebuilt” some of the signature shapes. Was that the first thing on your “to do” list when you arrived at Ferragamo?
Re-work the fit was the number one thing. Because it’s really the foundation on which the company was born. Salvatore was very interested in art, in architecture, in sculpture, collecting different pieces of art and spent great time energy investing in museums. Somehow a lot of that informed what he did in his shoes, the architecture of his footwear. So I’ve tried to translate that mentality into the new products. It’s much more clean and simple. There is a lot of attention to the line of the foot. When they’re on the foot, hopefully they are the perfect fit.
So your saying that women’s feet have changed a lot over the past 50 years?
If you look at the shoes in the archives, it’s incredible, I can hold them in one hand, they’re tiny, people were much more smaller in those days. But more than that, so many people wear sneakers these days. People are more engaged in sports, running, yoga or whatever. What that does is it has really changed proportions: feet are bigger, wider, people’s arch tends to be higher. So the shoe has been re-proportioned in the way it’s really going to fit the modern foot. There is a new technology that I have developed with the Ferragamo team: it’s memory foam. Everytime you put in on, you feel that same juicy cushion on the ball of your foot.
So this is you version of botox for shoes?
That’s exactly what it is - fabulous.
So what exactly is the fascination with shoes? How did you first get interested in them?
It sounds like a generic answer but I would say its thanks to my mother. She's incredibly stylish. She has always had deep closets full of shoes. I remember being 5 or 6 years old, sitting in her shoe closet; holding and cherishing this red suede fringe boot which became my obsession. And then I started drawing shoes from that point on.
Would you say that that red fringe suede boot is your favorite shoe of all time?
When I started my own collection, I did a version of that which actually sold very well. But I don't know if it’s my favorite shoe of all time. I mean people ask me to choose my favorite shoe in my collection; it’s really like choosing your favorite child. Like you spent so much time and attention to each model and picking one more to the other… I don’t know it’s very hard to choose.
I know that about 40% of the brand’s business comes from footwear but there are three of you creating the Ferragamo universe. Fulvio Rigoni is doing the womenswear and Guillaume Meilland is in charge of menswear, while you create all of the footwear. How do you all communicate with each other? What is the process like?
We’re all on the road all the time and we all thank god for technology. We do a lot of Skype calls, Facetime calls but we speak to each other all the time. I know that’s an unusual scenario in fashion to have three creative directors but it kinda works in this case. We are all specialists in our own role. Even though certain things may begin with the shoes, because of course we are women's shoes house, it’s a very open vocabulary. It’s a great relationship actually.
What’s your creative process like?
I get up really early and I find it’s the best time because the world is waking up and it gives me a moment to think and start sketching. Once I’ve sort of curate some initial shapes and pulled together some inspirational images, that’s when I start engaging with my team and we work together to create the collection.
And then how do you break up your time, when you’re working on your own signature label and Ferragamo?
I do like to keep things separate so there is no aesthetics overlap and the way that I do that is by keeping a very tight schedule. It’s very clear that you know “this day I’m working for Paul Andrew”, “the next day it’s all about Ferragamo”. Actually it tends to be less about days but more about weeks. I would spend a week in New York, a week in Florence.
It tends to be that way: back and forth every week. It’s important for me to keep the two things very separate.
What has been the biggest surprise for you here so far at Ferragamo?
I think the biggest surprise was to discover that archive and then understanding that all this was designed in 192o and 30s. Just thinking how incredibly ahead of the time Salvatore was. It was all about innovation and technology but at the same time incredible craftsmanship. He was so engaged with these Italian artisans, that he not necessarily discovered in factories. He might be walking in the streets of Florence, and in the 1920s and 1930s, every square had markets with artists, painters, artisans... he was incredibly engaged with these people and always trying new things, inventing things. He was an incredible man.
Do you have a vision of the new modern Ferragamo woman? Who is she?
You know that’s an interesting question because, as we in America, we don’t want to throw the baby out with the bathwater. We have established consumers. We don’t want to lose her. She may be a certain age now so we’re interested in introducing the brand to her daughter.
It’s difficult to put a celebrity name to that person. Even if I have that person in my mind...
Who? You can tell me, it’s between us!
Well I think she’s a sophisticated, educated, world-traveling woman...like so many women today. I think of women the brand has been dressing like Cate Blanchett, Julianne Moore or Jessica Chastain, you know these smart intellectual women.
I am curious, do you try on the shoes?
(Laughing) No I have not! Maybe because they don’t come in my size – 43. Actually you can’t believe the number of requests we have for size 43 shoes.
What would you way is the common denominator between your design philosophy and Ferragamo’s?
We both have a shared love for color. He was always very connected and obsessed with color. He was pushing boundaries on that. Imagine in 1928 what he created with natural pigments. There is also that underlining desire for fit and comfort.
Tell me something about yourself that no one else know.
I play the piano. That’s an amazing way to relax… the hours almost disappear.
Looking forward, how do you envision your future? Where do you see yourself?
This definitely isn’t a temporary arrangement for me. I feel like it is just the beginning and we have a lot of work to do still. It’s an incredible heritage luxury brand. We want to really introduce this company to a new generation and that takes time. I’m really excited about the prospect of doing that. Plus the archive is so rich, there is so much to do and so much I am excited about for the future. So I definitely see myself here for an extended time.
What is Ferragamo to you in one word or sentence?
It’s an incredible Italian heritage brand. It’s all about family and at the same time about technology and innovation. We have so many values here. We established...that You know I am really trying to pull it back to that, fundamentals…
