Gianfranco Ferre, the Italian
style master known for his love of pure line, luxurious fabrics and
vibrant color, designs ready-to-wear and accessories collections under
his own name in addition to his work as artistic director of the House
of Christian Dior in Paris. He is the master of one of the world's most
successful design empires, including Ferre boutiques around the world,
men's wear, fragrance, accessories, etc.
Born in 1944 in Legnano, Ferre
took an early interest in design and eventually enrolled in the Milan
Polytechnic Institute where he earned a degree in architecture. But
a consuming interest in fashion lead him to design a collection of jewelry
and accessories which he envisioned as a middle ground between design
objects and "props for living." Soon Ferre was designing his first fashion
collections bringing him instant recognition both from the press and
from an exclusive group of fashionable, modern women. Ferre credits
a trip to India early in his design career as the moment he grasped
the oriental understanding of simplicity in line and color. In India
Ferre learned the notion that purity is the goal of all good design.
At the same time Ferre takes inspiration from his native Mediterranean
spirit which allows him to indulge fanciful whims and celebrations of
female beauty.
Since joining Dior, Ferre has
adopted Paris as his second city, inspiring the designer with its sharp
avant-garde spirit, its sense of exaggeration while remaining mindful
of tradition. Ferre represents the freedom to create for the sake of
creation, always inventive, whether responding to the needs of tradition
or exploring the limits of his imagination, or simply revealing a passionate
romanticism. He plies the form, the material with sense of rigor, tenacity
and sheer delight. Ferre, the eternal creator, unfailingly inquisitive,
remains ever on the alert. He loves travelling, observing, discovering,
meeting people. First and foremost, Gianfranco Ferre loves life. This
life which, in turn, has proven to be very fond of him.
