Ferragamo SS23 Presented By Its First Black Creative Director Maximilian Davis

Updated: May 9, 2023

It's no wonder Mr. Davis became a fashion aficionado with a Jamaican- Trinidadian family like that! His mother and sister were models, his father studied fashion design, and his grandmother had him learning how to use her sewing machine at the age of 6.

He graduated from the prestigious London College of Fashion and assisted Grace Wales Bonner before starting his own label, Maximilian, in 2020. His good friend Mowalola Ogunlesi, who used to be the head designer for Yeezy Gap, encouraged him to pursue his dreams.

"Maximilian is a true leader in his field, and I couldn't be more thrilled to have him joining Ferragamo," Marco Gobbetti emphasized in a statement distributed to the press. "He has a unique and precise vision, along with an exceptional level of quality, which helps him produce some truly top-notch work," he continued. "His work is defined by elegance and sensuality, as well as a steadfast commitment to quality," he concluded.

Maximilian Davis is honored to join the house. "The importance Ferragamo places on sophistication and timeless elegance is a great inspiration, and I can't wait to develop my vision starting from the principles of quality and innovation in Italian craftsmanship,” David stated.

Ferragamo SS23 (Debut Collection)

The 27 year-old Fashion East graduate took the Florentine heritage label from old to New Hollywood with an elegant sex appeal and innovative twists on tailoring.

What Does Old Hollywood Mean In the Fashion World?

Ever since the 1920s, the glamour of Hollywood has steadily dominated the fashion scene. The romanticism and surrealism offered by Hollywood through both revealing and delicate designs remained popular up until the outbreak of World War II. Because of its body-clinging design, the ultimate naked dress is the 1930s silk bias-cut dress. Although it suggests everything about the wearer, it reveals nothing about her physique.

Silky chiffon gowns, covered by a thin layer of satin, epitomize the glamorous and heady days of Hollywood in the 1930s and Hollywood starlets of the time greatly impacted fashion.

Inflexibility of established gender roles is no longer a necessary force to have to conform to. With the younger generations being ever-more progressive, and with less people completely identifying with the social construction of gender, the sheer dress has also been adopted by men in fashion. This is exactly the vibes we're getting from this collection.

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Davis debuted his first collection for the Italian House during Milan Fashion Week (September 24th). All pictures are Courtesy of Ferragamo and captured by Filippo Fior.

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