Welcome to our world
C o n o s c i u t o p e r l a s u a e l e g a n z a s e n z a t e m p o
e l a q u a l i t à a r t i g i a n a l e ,
F e r d i n a n d i h a r i v o l u z i o n a t o l ' a l t a m o d a
c o n i s u o i s o f i s t i c a t i t a i l l e u r c h e h a n n o v e s t i t o c e l e b r i t à
e d a m e d e l l ' a l t a s o c i e t à d i t u t t o i l m o n d o ,
i m p o n e n d o a l t r e s ì l a s u a c i f r a s t i l i s t i c a
c o n u n v i s i o n a r i o e r a f f i n a t o e s t r o p e r l e c a l z a t u r e
J u s t a b o u t t o m a k e s o m e h i s t o r y
The tailor
of via Veneto
​
​
Nato a Newark, nel New Jersey,
il 29 novembre 1920 e cresciuto
a New York, Vincenzo Ferdinandi
lascia gli Stati Uniti per stabilirsi
a Roma, sua città d'adozione
‘Hollywood sul Tevere’
​
‘Hollywood sul Tevere’
​
1952
The inauguration
at Palazzo Pitti
Ferdinandi wowed the buyers,
emerging as one of the standout houses
on the runway — and marking the bold debut of Made in Italy on the world stage.
First black model
in Italy
she hit the runway
for Maison Ferdinandi at Palazzo Pitti
in 1953 — and it made waves.
Originally the 'Sindacato Italiano Alta Moda,'
it would become CNMI
by the late 1950s.
Ferdinandi, together with other top couturiers, helped found SIAM, elevating Rome firmly on the global fashion map.
Jennifer Jones and the Best costume in 1954
Back when fashion was still free,
before the world started turning every creative move into a full-on show
An enduring legacy
Journey into the story of our couture, shaped by the experiences and voices that defined fashion as we know it.
*
T H E H I D D E N G E M S T O R Y
F r o m W o n d e r l a n d t o R o m e
T h e B u n n y B a l l e r i n a S h o e s
Amid the dreamy allure of 1950s Rome, alive with the spirit of La Dolce Vita, even accessories
became a canvas for experimentation, opening up to a more imaginative dimension.
Ferdinandi didn’t stop at clothing: his creative vision extended to shoes, hats, and bags, transforming every accessory into an extension of his imaginative world.
By 1955, at a moment when femininity was becoming more dynamic and modern, Ferdinandi captured the spirit of the times with an innovative and visionary pair of ballerina shoes. Already adored and made iconic by stars like Audrey Hepburn and Brigitte Bardot, these shoes became the starting point for a radical idea: turning an everyday object into a miniature work of art.
He crafted a whimsical and fantastical model. The ballerina shoes came alive with bunny ears, bright eyes, and curious whiskers, almost animated—hovering between object and story. The world of Alice in Wonderland emerges subtly yet recognizably, even in a version adorned with playing cards.
​
Queste creazioni si collocano in una zona nuova della moda: non più solo eleganza o funzionalità,
ma pura invenzione. Eppure, nonostante l’audacia, Ferdinandi non rinuncia mai allo stile.
Le linee restano armoniose, i materiali ricercati, e l’ironia si fonde con una sofisticata misura estetica.
​
​La stampa, quella inglese in particolare, accoglie con entusiasmo queste ballerine fuori dagli schemi.
Il mercato britannico le celebra come simbolo di una creatività italiana capace di sorprendere
senza perdere raffinatezza.​
​In un’epoca dominata da regole e codici estetici ben definiti, Ferdinandi si impone così come innovatore:
un designer che osa, ma con grazia.
Le sue ballerinas shoes non sono solo scarpe, ma racconti da indossare.
E, come in una moderna favola, chi le porta entra in un mondo dove moda e immaginazione si incontrano,
camminando in equilibrio tra sogno e realtà.
"It's impossible!"
"Only if you believe it is."