After Much Speculation, Paul Andrew’s Ferragamo Exit Is Official
After months of speculation, Paul Andrew confirmed this morning he is exiting his creative director post at Ferragamo.
“It’s been a true honor to give new life to Salvatore’s legacy, his genius design and ground-breaking innovation. I will always be grateful for this opportunity, and proud of the work I have accomplished,” the designer said in an Instagram post.
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Ferragamo said in a statement that the creative and design direction of Ferragamo will continue with the oversight of the existing in-house team.
WWD first reported news of a potential move in January. At that time, market sources speculated the Florence-based luxury company would not renew Andrew’s contract when it ended in late February.
Andrew joined Ferragamo in 2016 as women’s footwear director. A year later, the Italian label put ready-to-wear under his direction. In 2019, he was promoted to his current post of creative director.
For his fall ’21 virtual show last month, which presented both men’s and women’s lines, Andrew turned to classic sci-fi films such as “Gattaca,” “The Matrix,” and “Until The End of the World” to inform the collection, titled “Future Positive.” Futuristic sneakers gave a sporty element to everything, while the metallic pumps — based on the brand’s iconic F-heel, provided a retro glamour duality. During his tenure, Andrew often highlighted the house’s rich footwear archives.
Andrew’s exit from Ferragamo could open the door to a revival of the designer’s namesake collection, which he put on hold in 2019 to focus on Ferragamo. But the luxury shoe landscape has changed dramatically since Andrew made his big debut in 2013 after working for Donna Karan for more than a decade and holding posts at Narciso Rodriguez and Calvin Klein.
Ferragamo also revealed last week another shakeup, within its board, that will be signed off on during a meeting next month. Documents outline a plan that includes chairman Ferruccio Ferragamo leaving his post. He will be succeeded by his brother Leonardo. While there had been speculation about other top executive changes, the company confirmed that CEO Micaela le Divelec Lemmi and executive vice chairman Michele Norsa will stay on board.
In the 12 months ended Dec. 31, revenues fell 33.5 percent to 916 million euros, compared with 1.37 billion euros in 2020. Ferragamo reported a progressive improvement in the second half. Shoe sales fell 34.9 percent to 374.7 million euros, accounting for 41 percent of the total.
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