The small town of Maranello, in Emilia-Romagna, is used to receiving visitors. They all gravitate towards a precise point: the headquarters of Ferrari, and its factory, where 10,000 cars are produced per year. Buyers, willing to pay at least 200,000 euros per vehicle, are entitled to private tours. And tourists roam the company’s museum, leaving with miniature cars bought in the adjoining shop.
Sunday, June 13, tourists gave way to models, makeup artists, hairdressers and journalists, who came to attend a fashion show organized in the assembly line. In the audience, in front of a backlit podium, Jonathan Ive, designer of Apple products, sat alongside designer Marc Newson, three-star chef Massimo Bottura and Spaniard Carlos Sainz Jr., F1 driver and new recruit of the Scuderia Ferrari.
Everyone in attendance was eyeing John Elkann. The 45-year-old Italian-American is the heir to the Agnelli empire, which together with the Exor holding company, owns the majority of Fiat-Chrysler, Juventus de Turin, the press group The Economist… And therefore Ferrari, that its holding holds 24%. If John Elkann was the center of attention, it is because the event was major: the presentation of the first ready-to-wear collection from Ferrari.
The marriage could surprise. Because, for now, “Ferrari fashion” comes down to nylon polo shirts or caps, sold in airport shops or major shopping streets. But Ferrari wants to change. “In recent years, we have closed a large number of licenses, specifies Nicola Boari, head of diversification, there have been amazing things in the past, computers, perfume, and even shampoo! “ Rocco Iannone, 37, who worked for Giorgio Armani’s studio and for a while at the helm of the Pal Zileri brand, has been appointed Creative Director. “I consulted numerous archives, in particular old advertisements or photographs, like that of Anna Magnani, one of the first customers, at the wheel”, he confided the day before the parade.
Its collection is made up of direct references: shirts covered with a giant logo, polo shirts printed with vintage photographs, pilot’s gloves. But also more subtle nods: parkas reminiscent of a fuselage, raincoat evoking a mechanic’s work suit, ear jewelry in the shape of Cavallino, the black horse drawn up symbol of the brand. The collection has been available since Monday morning on e-commerce platforms and will be available in specialized stores.
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