Exotic Salvatore Ferragamo Strapless Silk Leopard Print Dress Gown
About the Item
- Designer:
- Brand:
- Period:
- Condition:
- Seller Location:Los Angeles, CA
- Reference Number:1stDibs: LU1962580333
Salvatore Ferragamo
A perfectionist who as a child crafted a pair of white shoes for his sister’s first holy communion because his parents couldn’t afford new footwear, Salvatore Ferragamo was ambitious from his earliest days. The young Italian shoemaker established in the years that followed what would one day become a fashion empire — the highly profitable multinational family-owned and -operated luxury brand today counts more than 600 stores in 96 countries around the world, and vintage Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, belts, handbags and other clothing and accessories are objects of desire for fashion lovers everywhere.
Salvatore Ferragamo sought an education in the art of shoemaking when he was eleven — he apprenticed with a local shoemaker and spent a short time in nearby Naples learning what he could at a shoe factory. He opened his first shop with a handful of workers the following year, and in 1914 — when he was still a teenager — Ferragamo emigrated to America, just as his siblings had before him, seeking new opportunities for work and to learn in the footwear trade.
After securing a job at the Plant Shoe Factory in Boston, Massachusetts, Ferragamo was uninspired by machine-made footwear. He moved across the country to Santa Barbara, California. Owing to a connection he made with a then-actor cousin, Ferragamo found work with the American Film Manufacturing Company. He made women’s shoes and provided durable cowboy boots for a film crew’s costuming department. Ferragamo’s reputation in the world of Hollywood cinema soon broadened, and he established a storefront in Mission Canyon where he made shoes by hand for the likes of actresses Gloria Swanson, Greta Garbo and Dolores del Río.
By the 1920s, film directors commissioned Ferragamo to produce shoes for a range of movies — the list of films eventually included The Ten Commandments, The Covered Wagon and The Thief of Baghdad. When he felt comfortable enough with the English language, Ferragamo also enrolled in anatomy courses at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles in order to better understand motion and the demands that we place on our footwear.
By the late 1920s, Ferragamo sought to expand production of his shoes and returned to Italy. He hired scores of apprentices to work in a factory in Florence, where Ferragamo carefully melded the principles of handcraftsmanship with all that he learned about America’s shoe factories. He filed patents — hundreds over the years — on the steel shank arch and many other unique aspects of his shoe design, and when economic and political influences during the 1930s forced Ferragamo to substitute pressed cork for steel to support the arch, the wedge heel was born. Other creative materials he integrated into his forward-looking creations were hemp, felt, nylon fishing line, fish skin and cellophane twisted with silk.
In the late 1940s, the brand’s first storefront opened in Manhattan, and today Salvatore Ferragamo is known worldwide and is synonymous with a wealth of iconic footwear such as Viva ballet flats, Vara Bow pumps, Gancini loafers and lots more. Ferragamo’s son, Ferruccio, was appointed CEO in 1984. Under his leadership, Ferruccio diversified and expanded the fashion business further, getting into sunglasses, fragrance, watches and made-to-measure men’s shoes. Ferruccio was succeeded by his brother, Leonardo Ferragamo, and British designer Maximilian Davis is now creative director of the brand.
Find vintage Salvatore Ferragamo shoes, clothing and accessories on 1stDibs.
- ShippingRetrieving quote...Ships From: Los Angeles, CA
- Return PolicyThis item cannot be returned.
- Vionnet Runway Veraline Blue Plisse Cut-Out Pleated Dress Gown NWTBy VionnetLocated in Los Angeles, CAVionnet of Paris veraline blue plisse pleated cutout gown is the 1st look that opened the 2016 Spring runway show. (see photo) Sleeveless with pleated panels of bodice twisted toget...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Gowns
- Christian Dior by Galliano Early Sapphire Blue Silk Demi Couture Dress GownBy Christian DiorLocated in Los Angeles, CAA rare Christian Dior by John Galliano f/w 1999 sapphire blue eyelash silk bias cut gown. Designed with the utmost attention to couture detailing and sophisticated construction. Go...Category
1990s Evening Gowns
- John Galliano 2009 Grecian Sculptured GownBy John GallianoLocated in Los Angeles, CAJohn Galliano 2009 Grecian inspired gown. Fashioned in a rich teal blue fabric designed to delicately drape and showcase the body. Lower back make...Category
Early 2000s Evening Gowns
- NWT Schiaparelli Jeweled Flowers Silk Evening DressBy SchiaparelliLocated in Los Angeles, CAA lovely modern Schiaparelli silk colorblock evening dress adorned with tiny jeweled flowers on skirt and sides of bodice. "V" neckline softly pleated bodice extending into a lightly draped skirt. Back features double panel short train. Back zipper closure. Side thigh high slit. The rich colors of orange and turquoise taken from colors used in older vintage Schiaparelli dress...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses
- Zandra Rhode Beautiful 1978 Mexican Collection Maxi dress with BeltBy Zandra RhodesLocated in Los Angeles, CA1978 Zanda Rhodes silk chiffon maxi dress with satin tie belt. Pattern represents that of the designer's Mexican collection. Dress offered in excellent condition. Dress features ...Category
20th Century Maxi Dress
- Yiquing Yin "Princess of Pleats" Poiret Designer Hi Low Couture Dress GownBy Yiquing YinLocated in Los Angeles, CAYiqing Yin is a highly regarded Chinese-born, Paris-based Haute Couture designer and an official member of the Chambre Syndicale de la Haute Couture. Kno...Category
21st Century and Contemporary Evening Dresses
- Vintage 1960's Ice Blue Chiffon and Lace Pleated Dress UK 12 US 8Located in Cheltenham, GBAn eye-catching piece to behold this original 1960's dress, rendered in a blue floral lace which is in turn embellished with blue pearlescent beads, small pale blue glass bead and si...Category
1960s Cocktail Dresses
- Verheyen London Blue Kimono in Italian Silk Satin with Faux Fur - One sizeBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Blue Kimono in Italian Silk Satin with Faux Fur - One size The Verheyen London Kimono is the perfect dress for evening wear or coat dress to wear with a pair of jea...Category
2010s Cocktail Dresses
- Yves Saint Laurent 1980s Silk Floral Print DressBy Yves Saint Laurent Rive GaucheLocated in Scottsdale, AZShow off your inner chic 80's girl with this amazing YSL dress! Features a black and red floral pattern on top of the contrasting overall bright royal blue color. Includes bishop sle...Category
1980s French Cocktail Dresses
- Michael Angel Multicolor Evening GownLocated in Scottsdale, AZDazzle and Delight in the Michael Angel Multicolor Evening Gown - Your Show-Stopping Statement Dress! Prepare to captivate the room in the Michael Angel Multicolor Evening Gown, a ma...Category
Early 2000s Evening Gowns
- Verheyen London Blue Kimono in Italian Silk Satin with Faux Fur - One sizeBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Blue Kimono in Italian Silk Satin with Faux Fur - One size The Verheyen London Kimono is the perfect dress for evening wear or coat dress to wear with a pair of jea...Category
2010s Cocktail Dresses
- Verheyen London Blue Kimono Dress Italian Silk Satin & Faux Fur - One SizeBy Verheyen LondonLocated in London, GBVerheyen London Blue Kimono in Italian Silk Satin with Faux Fur - One Size The Verheyen London Kimono is the perfect dress for evening wear or coat dress to wear with a pair of jean...Category
2010s Cocktail Dresses