Before leaving Florence, we got the opportunity to visit the Salvatore Ferragamo shoe museum. This was a museum set up by his family to showcase the 14,000 footwear models and 400 patents, photos, videos, tools, and memorabilia. The museum has different rooms for different sections and stages of Ferragamo's life.
During World War II, Ferragamo started using different materials such as fish skins and plastic. These materials were not only cheaper, but also softer and easier to mold. He also created the wedge by using cork instead of a steel shank, in order to support the weight of the body. This wedge was later dented to look like an F for the Ferragamo brand.
As I was walking around the museum one shoe in particular stopped me. It was a beautiful sandal made in 1956. It had a metal bottom, but the upper was made out of 18 karat gold. The twisting of the gold reminded me of the twists in the architecture of the Santa Maria del Fiore, the duomo in Florence. "The cathedral was begun at the end of the 13th century in the Gothic style by Arnolfo di Cambio, and the dome, which dominates the exterior, was added in the 15th century." 1
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| From smh.com.au |
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| Santa Maria del Fiore |
Ferragamo was known for taking inspirations from everything such as the colors in a painting or the shapes on a building. He had a great passion for creating shoes for women and making them comfortable and beautiful, while being innovative in the styles and materials he used.
As we left the museum a quote was left on the wall. It said, "We are all flowing with eternal tide, and at the eternal tide only is there no end." - Salvatore Ferragamo. To me, this says that we have no height to where we can go. There is nothing that can stop us or ruin us; as the duomo stands strong and keeps taking in new and old visitors, so does this gold shoe. Art and fashion will always be a continued cycle with no end.
1 "The Duomo: Florence's Cathedral." Visit Florence. Web. 17 June 2011. http://www.visitflorence.com/florence-churches/duomo.html.
