Storied luxury houses used to be bound by tradition, relying on a set of core designs to return every season as their specialty. But, with the internet and the subsequent democratization of fashion, these gatekeepers of style were forced to streamline and modernize their approach. The ones that could, survived while the others were left to decay. It sounds like the plot of a sci-fi film, doesn’t it? Ironic, then, that Salvatore Ferragamo was one of the houses that thrived in the brave new world, and even more ironic that its Winter 2021 collection, entitled Future Positive, is inspired by the limitless conceptual freedom of science fiction.
In fashion, the past exerts a gravity. For the Fall/Winter season, Ferragamo inverted those physics to engineer a collection that sees the present through a prism of the future – unleashing a multitude of fresh perspectives. For the Future Positive collection, the brand imagined the standard contours of today’s uniforms as fossilized remnants of a long-forgotten past, freed of all associations of class, color, or creed. New uniforms for a utopian future in which diversity and positivity combine to transform our world for the better.
The largely unisex collection offers shirting, mohair knits, footwear, and accessories that are all connected and complement each other as one, flowing consciousness. Presented in monochrome, the bulk of the collection lays the groundwork for the occasional burst of vivid color, print, or unorthodox texture.
Below, we’ve rounded up 10 pieces that we feel define the futuristic outlook of Salvatore Ferragamo’s Winter 2021 Future Positive collection.
While the collection looks to a sci-fi future, some icons must remain. This luxury leather bag epitomizes the unisex direction of the collection: worn as a cross-body bag it features subtle detailing in a demised Ferragamo monogram throughout.
Working in harmony with understated pieces like the Gancini bag are bold, eye-catching highlights like this leather jacket. Built with a typical workwear silhouette in line with the utopian uniform, this jacket is a dream for layering.
Mules are dominating the footwear conversation right now. The easygoing nature of the slip-on build fits squarely into the zeitgeist and iterations like this chunky, unmissable blue clog make it all the more appealing. This pair features a sole made from certified responsibly managed and wood sources and a sole tread made from recycled pre-consumer TPU rubber.
No matter what the year, as long as Ferragamo exists so will the iconic Gancini belt. This version, though, is fully reversible with one side boasting an embossed Gancini monogram texture and the other a classic black leather.
In Ferragamo’s collection, a futuristic reinterpretation of military style is a big inspiration. This hypnotic print feels like a glitched-out camouflage.
Accessories can be the make or break of a collection and one of the crucial parts is situating the accessories within the frame of the collection so they don’t come across as an afterthought. This necklace is proof that Ferragamo has hit the nail on the head. In the style of a military dog tag, the rectangular pendant hangs from a high-end herringbone chain.
You thought there’d be a future-leaning collection without some technical runners in the mix? Think again. This pair of leather sneakers features a Ferragamo monogram texture at its core which is overlayed by a multitude of panels and 3M hits.
The future isn’t all rubber-soled, though. This pair of flawless loafers is the evidence. Aside from the Ferragamo logo set as silver-tone hardware across the vamp, this pair relies on its immaculate leather upper to make an impact.
Somewhere between a hoodie and a jacket, this semi-transparent zip-through is everything we want from our future wardrobe, really. It’s equal measures technical and elegant, with strong visual anchors like two oversized pockets to the hips which work in contrast to aspects like the sporty drawstrings to the hood and hem.
Did somebody say Neo? The Matrix is a driving force in the aesthetic of the Future Positive collection and this pair of tonal blue glasses is giving us big time-bending energy. It’s all in the mind.