Paul Andrew

Paul Andrew Designing Shoes For Salvatore Ferragamo
Salvatore Ferragamo celebrates a new chapter in its history with the debut of the Pre-Fall and Fall-Winter 2017 women’s shoe collections, the first created by Paul Andrew, the category’s newly appointed design director.
Capturing the innate qualities of the modern woman, #AmoFerragamo celebrates the romance Salvatore Ferragamo expressed through design, color and craftsmanship toward the unique and empowered women who were both his inspiration and customer. The digital platform will link the past, present and future of the house, through a dialogue spanning generations, and speaking to a youthful new audience. Through a multichapter and multi-sensory digital series, the Pre-Fall and Fall-Winter 2017 women’s shoe collections are restyled, remixed and reimagined by international it-girls. Nicole Warne, Julia Restoin Roitfeld, Lee Sung Kyung and others, will each star in their own chapter of the series: “Shoe La La”, “Shoe It”, “Shoe me”, “Alphabet Yourself”, “How To”, and “Dance, Dance, Dance”. Almost 90 years later, the spirit of the Ferragamo woman has laid ground to a legacy of talent that continues to inspire the brand today, each woman an admired individual in her own right: joyful, seductive, powerful, cool. The story unveils on May 22, 2017 at ferragamo.com/amoferragamo.
THE COLLECTION
In his first collection for the company, Andrew puts at center stage founder Salvatore Ferragamo’s lifelong obsession with craftsmanship, innovation and fit. He considers how to make these values significant to a consumer and unique to a luxury brand today. High-tech meets high-craft in a series of sharply punctuated groups, where Andrew harnesses state-of-the-art technology and the savoir-faire of Italy’s finest artisans. Paul Andrew states: “My concept for the collection was simply to highlight the fundamentals that made Salvatore such a profound and groundbreaking presence in his field and to express those values through designs that are relevant to a new generation of strong, discerning women”.
Timeless Ferragamo icons and design gestures have been reimagined and recast, like the original ‘F’ wedge translated with a modern hand in velvets and suedes. From a rainbow of colors to signature black and gold, referencing the brand’s roots in Hollywood, and reinterpreting the symbolic house Gancio, new and modern silhouettes compliment the reborn “Flower Hell”, inspired by an original Ferragamo creation, Andrew’s new legacy line design element that will carry through the women’s shoe collection.
Salvatore Ferragamo once again underlines the storied House’s inimitable style and interpretation of modern luxury with the new women’s shoe collection and the category’s celebrated design director Paul Andrew. Designer Paul Andrew answered our questions on designing shoes.
How do you feel about designing shoes for Salvatore Ferragamo, ‘the shoemaker of dreams’?
Salvatore Ferragamo has been an iconic reference for shoe design and craftmanship for nearly a century, so it is a great honor to be invited to lead the creative vision for women’s shoes. I intend to bring a new perspective to the company in line with the demands of today’s marketplace, marrying the the power of its heritage and industrial force with high design and the latest innovations in material and make.
How do you feel your vision will fit the Ferragamo aesthetic, values and DNA?
The woman who will be seduced by the new Ferragamo is discerning, confident and demandsquality and integrity. She’s in touch with her feminity, intrigued by fashion, and is self-assured in her choices. My concept is to return attention to the fundamentals that were once so synonymous with Ferragamo; innovation, quality, fit and to communicate those values through product that is differentiated and relevant. I want to engage and introduce Ferragamo to a new generation of women.
Can you say a few words on artisanship, craftsmanship and the ‘Made In Italy’ tag?
‘One of the great privileges of producing shoes in Italy is the ability to collaborate with the artisans. Many of the craftmen and craftswomen at Ferragamo have been hand-making shoes for generations. I have the utmost respect for their skills and technical instincts and have actively partnered with them over the past few months to realize my designs using the latest techniques and technoligies. I believe we are making products that stand not only for the beauty of the Ferragamo brand, but also the power and prestige of Italian manufacturing.
PAUL ANDREW BIOGRAPHY
British-born, New York based footwear and accessory designer, Paul Andrew, announced his eponymous line of women’s shoes for spring 2013, followed by a line of men’s shoes for fall 2016. The critical and commercial response to the brand has positioned Andrew as an innovative rising force within the footwear industry. In september 2016, Andrew was named the first ever design director for women’s shoes at Salvatore Ferragamo, debuting his first collection for the Italian fashion house for pre-fall 2017/18.
Long familiar with the rigor and discipline required to deign for the world’s most discerning and fashionable consumers, Andrew cultivated his craft alongside iconic fashion designers such as Donna Karan, Calvin Klein, Narciso Rodriguez, and Alexander McQueen. With his wealth of experience and peerless manufacturing resources, Paul Andrew proposes a style and sensibility for his namesake collection that is uniquely his own: An aesthetic that is always refined and without severity using the finest materials and craftsmanship, ingenuity to maximize comfort and performance, and a singular, passionate approach to the modern shoe silhouette. Paul Andrew has been honored with several awards since launching his brand, including “Accessories Designer of the Year” at the 2013 edition of “Who is on Next?”, The 2013 “Launch of The Year” by fairchild publications and footwear news, and the top honors of the 2014 cfda/Vogue Fashion Fund. In 2016, Andrew was awarded the cfda Swarovski award for accessory design, and the ace award for launch of the year for his men’s collection. Most recently andrew was awarded with the designer of the year honor at the footwear news achievement awards.