THE ALLURE OF LEATHER

Bazaar India speaks to MARIA SOLE FERRAGAMO, granddaughter of the legendary Italian shoemaker Salvatore FERRAGAMO, about her love for leather jewellery, her brand SO-LE STUDIO, her INSPIRATION, and a lot more.

- VINOD NAIR

Harper’s Bazaar: Born as the granddaughter of the legendary Salvatore Ferragamo, what was your childhood dream career?

Maria Sole Ferragamo: “To become an artist, a painter or a singer!”

HB: How was it spending time at the Ferragamo factories while growing up?

MSF: “I was raised in a culture of craftsmanship and creativity. Very early on, I started making jewellery for family and friends, discovering my great passion. At the same time, I started interning at the family manufacturer. All of us from the family interned there at some point, especially during summers. I was always looking forward to that time of the year, for me it was like spending time in wonderland—being surrounded by creativity, materials of all kinds and beautiful products. Each time I would move from one department to the other, from preparing the leather for the shoes to packaging—it was such a big learning experience.”

HB: You studied architecture from Politecnico di Milano and then Master of Arts with specialisation in jewellery from Central Saint Martins, London. From architecture to jewellery designing, how did that happen?