As shoe lovers know, there are some pairs you don for the daily grind, some you slip into for those special nights out, and precious few that are relegated to being collectors’ or even museum items.

Of note is The Rainbow wedge shoe, created by Salvatore Ferragamo in 1938 for actress Judy Garland, who starred as Dorothy in the 1939 film The Wizard of Oz. Ferragamo dressed the diminutive actress in this towering shoe, and became widely credited as the inventor of the platform.

Salvatore Ferragamo Rainbow Shoe-1938

For the first holiday season campaign in the history of the company, Salvatore Ferragamo pays tribute to the iconic Rainbow wedge sandal designed in 1938 for Judy Garland, re-imagined on its 80th anniversary with Rainbow Holiday, a collection of colorful accessories true to the house’s storied legacy of vibrant innovation. Rainbow Holiday continues to evoke ‘The Patchwork of Characters’ introduced by Women’s Creative Director, Paul Andrew.

Technicolor rainbow stripes of printed leather are complimented by the Vara bow ornament, another house icon originally designed in 1978 by Fiamma Ferragamo, eldest daughter to Salvatore and Wanda, a signature detail of the Maison. The Vara Rainbow bag, a small geometric shoulder strap handbag with chain handle, is adorned with the iconic Vara bow in printed Rainbow leather. Designed with form and function, a back pocket reveals a series of colorful compartments. Offered in a variety of block colors true to the collection’s inspiration – yellow, blue or red lipstick – the Vara Rainbow bag celebrates the icon for which it was named.

One of the Maison’s most influential and recognizable icons, the Vara block heel pump with crafted grosgrain ribbon meets the seasonal treatment of Rainbow Holiday in printed calfskin leather. In patent leather, solid yellow, blue or red lipstick celebrate the primary colours of the Rainbow.

Varina, a contemporary icon, receives the same bold treatment. An archival print from the early 1990’s inspires the Rainbow Holiday exclusive silk pattern, the Vara silhouette repeated endlessly in a myriad of colour variations. The antithesis of Rainbow, the juxtaposition of black and white evoke the positive and negative of a singular image developed on key accessories. Repurposing two prints from the Ferragamo archives of the early 1990’s, the Sumatra splices together pattern and proportion into a modern graphic design applied to silks, the Vara Rainbow bag and the new Varina flatform. 

Shot by Sofia Malamute, the The Holiday Season campaign stars a cast of three women and two men that expands the Patchwork Of Characters concept – an embrace of difference and diversity. It highlights a special edit of Pre-Spring 2019 ready to wear, and dedicated Holiday Season collections which contemporize two of the greatest designs handed down from the Ferragamo archive.

Paul Andrew, Women’s Creative Director, says: “Being part of Ferragamo’s story is a true gift. Our dynamic creative community has all the rich heritage of this house to explore, and we enjoy total freedom to play with those codes from the past in order to reinvent them for the present. Shooting this campaign alongside Sofia and watching all that work come alive was extremely exciting. That’s because the greatest privilege in being able to explore the archive, passed down via generations of Ferragamo expertise and passion, lies in being able to introduce it to a new generation.”