Balancing the business OF FASHION AND FAMILY

Capturing the duality of Wanda Ferragamo, Museo Salvatore Ferragamo is curating an exhibition as a tribute to the bright mind of this matriarch.

- SARAH FISHER

As demonstrated by the illustrious life of Wanda Miletti Ferragamo, a woman can wear many hats. She herself took on her husband's role as head of the Ferragamo Lempire after his demise in 1960. Prior to this, she was a devoted wife, mother, and homemaker, bearing Monsieur Ferragamo six children: three boys and three girls, all of whom will later join the world-renowned company.

Curated by Stefania Ricci and Elvira Valleri, Women in Balance is in honour of Wanda's memory as well as the fashion house's transformation from an artisanal workshop for women's shoes to a full-blown fashion house. The two curators sought to capture the essence of the Italian revolution, and have put in place a variety of collateral initiatives to build upon the concept in the exhibit. The year-long exhibition is taking residence at the iconic Museo Salvatore Ferragamo, Palazzo Spini Feroni, Florence from May 2022 to May 2023.

Here, the exhibition explores the intricacies of Italian womanhood in the fifties and sixties, which was a transformative time of profound change for both Italy and Wanda. Wanda herself masterfully found a delicate balance between the more traditional role of a homemaker and her duties at work. While she managed to achieve this elusive equilibrium, she was not one to quickly take credit for the success of the brand.