"Michelangelo shoes" and "star shoemaker" - so often called Salvatore Ferragamo his contemporaries. The Italian quickly fell in love with his shoes, first all Hollywood, and then the world. He has several shoe know-how, the most famous is an 11-centimeter stiletto heel.
Biography
Salvatore Ferragamo was born on June 5, 1898 on the outskirts of the Italian village of Benito, near Naples. In addition to him, the parents raised 13 more children. The family eked out a beggarly existence.
Since childhood, Salvatore dreamed of becoming a shoemaker. Buying new shoes or boots in his family was like a holiday. Since money was sorely lacking, new shoes and boots were rarely bought in his family. Buying shoes was like a holiday.
When Salvatore was 8 years old, he sewed his own shoes. Four years later, he had his own shoe workshop. He learned this craft in neighboring Naples. At the age of 15, he moved to the States, where his older brothers had previously moved. There they had their own shoe shop. Salvatore continued to study his chosen craft overseas.
Career
Success came to Ferragamo unexpectedly. The brothers' workshop was very close to Hollywood. Once one of the directors made an order for a hundred pairs of cowboy boots for the filming of a picture. Salvatore made them so good that Hollywood decided to conclude an agreement with him to sew shoes for other films. In 1923, he moved to Los Angeles, where he began to shoe stars.
Ferragamo was not an ordinary shoemaker, but a real creator. He can be safely called an innovator in the world of footwear. It was he who invented the "flat" men-style shoes for Greta Garbo, the 11-centimeter stiletto heel for Marilyn Monroe, the wedge, sandals in the ancient Roman spirit, which are now familiar to everyone as "gladiators".
In total, the shoemaker has almost 300 patents. Salvatore dreamed of making not only spectacular, but also practical models. To do this, he studied anatomy and mathematics in order to correctly calculate the proportions.
In 1928, Salvatore decided to return to Italy. There, in Florence, he created his own handmade shoe production. However, the first attempt was unsuccessful. Glory came to the shoemaker only after the war.
Salvatore died on August 7, 1960. His business was continued by relatives, creating the Salvatore Ferragamo brand. They have significantly expanded the assortment, and now not only footwear is produced under it, but also clothing, accessories and perfume.
35 years after the death of Salvatore, a museum dedicated to his work was opened in Florence. It is located in a house he once bought.
Personal life
Salvatore Ferragamo was married to Wanda Miletti. After his death, it was his wife who continued the family business, and then the children joined in. The Ferragamo family had three daughters and three sons: Giovanna, Fiamma, Falvia, Leonardo, Massimo and Ferruccio.
