Family Shoe Business Takes a Larger Size

And you thought the name Ferragamo meant great shoes. That’s still true. But, two new boutiques, which will enable male Ferragamo fans to dress the part from top to toe, were honored as wine flowed in a toast at Neiman-Marcus last week.

Fulvia and Leonardo Ferragamo, sister and brother, were in the United States to help launch the small, in-store shops--one in Dallas and one in Beverly Hills--which feature the family’s new line of men’s cotton dress shirts (available only at Neiman-Marcus and Ferragamo men’s stores) and wide selections of richly patterned silk ties.

The introduction of men’s shirts is one in a line of new challenges the company has taken on since it was founded in 1929 by master shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo, father of Fulvia and Leonardo.

“My father concentrated on shoes; they were his biggest passion,” said 34-year-old Leonardo in an accent out of a Fellini movie. “His dream was that his children would go into the business and build a house of fashion.”

If Salvatore is watching, he must be pleased. In addition to being Italy’s premier exporter of luxury shoes, the company now produces accessories, sportswear and ready-to-wear for men and women--and there is even talk of a perfume. The firm is owned and run by Salvatore’s wife, Wanda, their six children and a cousin--a regular Italian-style “Brady Bunch.”

Fulvia, 37, heads Ferragamo’s accessories division and designs the ties. She draws her inspiration for the dark, detailed, folkloric patterns from research into the tapestries and paintings of ancient cultures all over the world. How does she think the ties will fare in a town known for it’s love of glitz and pastels?

“The trend in men’s fashion is toward classic looks that remain fresh and young. All men pay great attention to quality. It’s hard to find male fashion victims,” Fulvia said.

Leonardo agrees: “Men today have developed a better eye. They look for consistency, not something flashy that will overcome their personality.”

Ferragamo customers don’t mind paying a little more for that dependable quality and style. The all-cotton shirts range in price from $115 to $140 and are cut more generously for American men, who tend to shy away from the tighter European style. French-cuff styles are on order for the fall. The all-silk ties range from $50 to $55.

“Success in neckwear comes from a certain level of consistency from season to season,” Patty King, men’s furnishings buyer for Neiman-Marcus said. “Ferragamo has that, and a unique, detailed look.”