Issue link: https://www.balharbourdigital.com/i/384868
Not everyone knows about the legacy of strong, stylish women behind the Salvatore Ferragamo brand, but they will soon, thanks to a charming series of short films launched in May in conjunction with the introduction of the Fiamma bag. When Ferragamo suddenly passed away in 1960 at the age of 62, it was his wife, Wanda, the mother of their six children, who fearlessly guided the company to further global acclaim. And when they came of age, daughters Giovanna, Fulvia and Fiamma helped lead the company. Fiamma, in particular, was a fashion force within the company and was instrumental in the brand's move into handbags in the 1970s. To honor Fiamma (who lost her battle with cancer in 1998 at just 57 years old), Ferragamo has named a handbag after her. Designed by creative director Massimiliano Giornetti, the satchel-style top-handled bag recalls a half-moon design Fiamma originally created in the 1990s. To launch the handbag, Giornetti and the Ferragamos came up with the idea of honoring the intergenerational legacy of women in the family with a series of short films featuring a global cast of stylish mothers and their equally stylish daughters. The films are a reminder that creativity—like style, manners and values—is handed down from one generation to the next. Offering an intimate glimpse into women's relationships, the films feature family pairings such as American actor Mariel Hemingway and her daughter Langley Hemingway Fox; Princess Patricia and Princess Mathilde Mélusine Ruspoli of Rome; and Belgian designer Jacqueline Beaurang and her two daughters, Lola and Stella Schnabel. What is so interesting about each film is that no matter which culture or country it references—China, America, Japan, Italy, Brazil—it speaks to this universal idea of creativity and style as traits that connect mothers and daughters. Japanese musician and artist Hanayo Nakajima, known for her off-beat and subversive work, speaks directly to the idea of intergenerational traditions when she tells the story of her grandmother's kimono and how she has passed it down through generations. For her daughter Tenko, also an artist, the maternal influence is broader: "She inspires me in every way that can possibly be because she's my mom." For Mariel Hemingway, creativity is one of her family's strongest features. "There's an overwhelming sense of a free spirit in the entire family," she says. "As a mother, it's cool to see your children express themselves and become individuals in their own right." 74 BAL HARBOUR FAMILY HISTORY Iconic Italian label Salvatore Ferragamo honors its own legacy of female creativity with a new signature handbag and a short series of films. BY KATE BETTS "Being paired with a family- driven company like Ferragamo was an inspiring opportunity." —Langley Hemingway Fox Ferragamo Mini Fiamma bag in fox fur and python PHOTO BY UNGANO & AGRIODIMAS g