2. 1
TABLE OF CONTENTS
Introduction 1
Part I: Summary of The Salvatore Ferragamo Group 2
History of the brand 3
Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A Today 4
Image and Identity of The Salvatore Ferragamo Brand 5
Part II: Internship Narrative Section 8
Tasks Performed & PR Lessons Learned 9
Appendix Disclaimer 13
Part III: Self-Evaluation 14
Conclusion 16
Bibliography 17
3. 1
Introduction
This past summer I had the opportunity of interning with the iconic Italian
fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo. My internship took place at the retail store in
Chicago, Illinois from the beginning of June until the end of August, and I worked
three to four days per week. I worked largely under the store manager and Midwest
Regional Director, Jason Ross. The Chicago store is Ferragamo’s main operating
branch for the midwest and southern regions within the United States. Salvatore
Ferragamo’s unique image and coveted designs are desired all over the world, and I
was able to see a portion of the brand’s influence at my summer internship.
5. 3
Summary of the Salvatore Ferragamo Group
History
In 1927 Salvatore Ferragamo legitimized his footwear creations into a high
fashion brand.1 Originating in Florence, Italy, Salvatore Ferragamo gained
popularity from his innovative women’s footwear styles and functionality. Then in
1948, the brand expanded into the United States creating a headquarters in New
York City.2 With this expansion, Salvatore Ferragamo also expanded his product
line. By 1980 the brand had collections such as women’s ready-to-wear, leather
goods, ladies footwear, men’s footwear, and men’s ready-to-wear.3 Adding a men’s
fashion division heightened Ferragamo’s presence in the fashion world and thus
gained a much larger customer base. Over the next decade Salvatore Ferragamo
expanded the brand’s scope into Asian countries such as China, Japan, and South
Korea.4 This provided the brand with another massive addition to its customer base.
As Ferragamo continued to establish retail locations all over the globe-
additions in Latin America, India, and the Middle East from 1999-2010- and also
continued to expand its products, Ferragamo still remained true to its family-
operated foundations.5 With such massive retail development the brand created
product lines such as eyewear, fragrances, and timepieces for both men and women.
1 The Salvatore Ferragamo Group. Web. <http://group.ferragamo.com/en>.
2 Ibid.
3 Ibid.
4 Ibid.
5 Ibid.
6. 4
In 2009, to accompany its global retail locations, Ferragamo created a new website
with an e-commerce access for the United States and major European countries.6
Even though the brand’s presence is highly regarded all over the world, Italy
still remains the brand’s true source for inspiration and identity. In 2011 Salvatore
Ferragamo reached a level of grandeur: the brand’s initial public offering on the
Milan Stock Exchange.7 The brand profited nearly 345 million euros during the IPO,
and gained a market value of 1.65 billion euros.8 This success has allowed
Ferragamo to continue developing the brand, yet still remain true to its authentic
Italian style.
Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A Today
The Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A is the parent company of the Ferragamo
group, thus existing because of the Milan Stock Exchange IPO. The S.p.A has “over
3,000 employees and an extensive network of 606 single-brand stores.”9 Salvatore
Ferragamo is established in 26 countries worldwide with a total of 338 directly
operated single-brand stores.10 In addition to the directly operated Ferragamo
boutiques around the world, the brand has also partnered with third-party retailers
such as Bloomingdales, Neiman Marcus, and Saks Fifth Avenue as several examples
within the United States.11 In total, Ferragamo has 268 wholesale locations
6 Ibid.
7 Ibid.
8 Paul Jarvis, "Salvatore Ferragamo Advances as Much as 8.3% in Milan Stock-Market
Debut." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 29 June 2011. Web.
9 The Salvatore Ferragamo Group. Web.
10 Ibid.
11 Ibid.
7. 5
worldwide, and therefore offers its glamorous products, in some retail form or
another, in nearly 90 countries across the world.12
The Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A is unique in that it is one of the only fashion
brands not owned by large luxury goods conglomerates such as LVMH Group or
Kering Group. The Salvatore Ferragamo S.p.A has a Board of Directors consisting of
five positions: Chairman, Vice Chairman, Managing Director, Directors, and
Independent Directors.13 Salvatore Ferragamo’s familial descendants compose three
of the five positions, notably the Chairman (Ferruccio Ferragamo) and Vice
Chairman (Giovanna Ferragamo) titles.14
Image and Identity of The Salvatore Ferragamo Brand
The S.p.A is highly recognized in the luxury goods market and focuses on
designing and manufacturing high-fashion products all handmade in Italy. Salvatore
Ferragamo works to “combin[e] style, creativity, and innovation with the quality
and craftsmanship typical of Italian-made goods.”15 Salvatore Ferragamo aims its
identity at combining elegance and luxury with contemporary designs for the
modern man and woman of all ages.
Regarding women’s fashion, the brand has historically designed products
geared towards a more mature demographic of women. As Salvatore Ferragamo
began his brand with women’s footwear, the craftsmanship of each shoe is highly
coveted by women who desire style and functionality. Ferragamo’s footwear serves
12 Ibid.
13 Ibid.
14 Ibid.
15 Ibid.
8. 6
not only a fashion purpose but an orthopedic function as well. Since the brand puts
great emphasis on the quality of ones shoes in regards to orthopedic health, women
in the workforce and of a mature age appreciate the functionality of Ferragamo’s
footwear. In recent collections, however, Creative Director Massimiliano Giornetti
has designed not only footwear, but ready-to-wear as well, that has a more modern
aura. In Anamaria Wilson’s article, “Fashion’s Best Kept Secret,” for Harper’s Bazaar,
Wilson recounts James Ferragamo’s statement about the ‘then-new’ creative
director: “’ Massimiliano is helping us maintain my grandfather’s principles, beliefs,
and values but at the same time supports the innovation, creativity, and modernity
of the brand.’”16 Blending these elements has expanded Ferragamo’s female target
audience to attract the chic young woman looking for elegance who does not have to
sacrifice her flare for trend to achieve it.
Concerning men’s fashion, Ferragamo has historically appealed to both the
younger, fashion conscious man and the more mature refined man. Consistent with
the values of the brand, Ferragamo’s products emote a true Italian style. Giornetti
led the men’s division of the brand for nearly 10 years before his promotion to
Creative Director.17 With this, Massimiliano Giornetti continues to design the men’s
collection with an ode to true Italian fashion, but with functionality and style that
appeal to all men interested in fashion. In Laurie Brookins’ article for Vegas
Magazine, Brookins interviews Giornetti who states, “Menswear for me is very
surgical and really about working on the details…. [I] want to create a closer
16 Anamaria Wilson, “Fashion’s Best Kept Secret,” Harper’s BAZAAR, Web. 30 October 2012.
17 Ibid.
9. 7
language between tailoring and sportswear, to create pieces that feel closer to the
refinement of a tailored piece while at the same time less strict.”18
Salvatore Ferragamo’s brand identity remains true to its foundation. Classic
Italian fashion comprised of elegant silhouettes and unmatched quality mixed with
modern elements makes Ferragamo truly distinct. Regarding the brand’s perceived
image among its publics, the image is a direct reflection of how the brand has
promoted its identity: “Massimiliano masterfully introduced his own vision while
respecting and building upon the rich legacy of Ferragamo. That first resort
collection set the tone for what was to come- elegance and decadence. We quickly
moved to have Ferragamo on Moda Operandi, and customer response has been
phenomenal,” stated Lauren Santo Domingo, a cofounder and creative director of
the major online retail haven Moda Operandi.19 With large retailers and famous
figures in the fashion world praising Giornetti’s designs, the brand’s image remains
esteemed among its publics. Moreover, the brand’s favorable image promotes its
success in the luxury goods market, thus solidifying its prestige as a premiere
fashion brand.
18 Laurie Brookins, “Ferragamo’s Massimiliano Giornetti,” Vegas Magazine RSS, Web.
19 Anamaria Wilson, “Fashion’s Best Kept Secret.”
11. 9
Internship Narrative
Tasks Performed & PR Lessons Learned
Salvatore Ferragamo’s corporate offices are located in New York City. Since
my internship took place in Chicago, Illinois, I did not work in a traditional office
setting, yet I still performed tasks associated with this type of environment. As
stated earlier, I worked mainly with my internship supervisor, Store Manager, and
Midwest Regional Director, Jason Ross. There are 12 employees at the Chicago store
that I worked with throughout my internship. Since the Chicago Salvatore
Ferragamo store is primarily a retail location, 10 of the employees are sales
associates, one employee is a shipping and handling manager, and the other is Mr.
Ross. Since Jason Ross oversees all of the stores in the midwest and southern region
of the United States, he manages all internal communication, product information
and orders, visual displays, special events, and general business operations for this
division. He is in close contact with other directors such as the east and west coast
directors, and the national buyers for the several men and women’s collections.
Since I worked primarily under Jason Ross, I was able to gain knowledge and
experience in the types of tasks he performs, as well as being able to work as a sales
associate within the store on occasion.
My first few work days consisted of learning the rules and customs of this
particular store and the company in general. I watched how sales associates
interacted with each customer to learn the level of hospitality that the brand
requires to present to customers. Ferragamo employees are instructed to treat
every prospective customer with unmatched kindness and authenticity. The days
12. 10
when I worked on the sales floor, in both the men’s and women’s departments, it
was utterly essential that I knew information about each product line and
subsequently each individual item within that collection. Since Ferragamo’s
products are created uniquely and with impeccable quality and care, it is essential to
relay that information to customers. Many customers expect a certain level of
quality because Salvatore Ferragamo is a high fashion brand, but on several
occasions customers were greatly impressed after I transmitted the company’s
history and practices to them. For example, Ferragamo creates a line of men’s shoes
called the Tramezza Collection. This collection is made-to-order and each shoe is
masterfully crafted in Italy. To make the shoes, shoemakers hand-stitch each pair to
perfection, and perform extensive leather treatment and dye processes, which take
up to one month. The labor hours needed to create products such as this are
extensive, and that is reflected in the price of the shoes. Often after communicating
this information to a customer, he or she was impressed and this helped raise
awareness about the brand’s practices and level of prestige. I found that directly
interacting with customers, in a sales-driven role, is a vital way that brands
disseminate identity elements and information to its publics. This allows the
company to enhance its image and strengthen the power it has within the
marketplace.
Another interesting concept I encountered while working directly with
customers was that I was able to see how customers reacted to certain products.
Footwear, for example, was the division that had the largest range of opinions. In
both men’s and women’s footwear, customers would comment on how comfortable,
13. 11
or not, the shoes were for their feet. Since each customer has a unique anatomy, the
‘fit’ of a certain style of shoe may not be ideal for that customer, even though
Ferragamo designs their shoes in the most comfortable way possible. Having a
customer provide you with feedback about a product such as shoes allows the sales
associate to direct them to a style more suited to their anatomy. This helps the
customer’s perceptions of the brand. The sales associate can then relay that specific
feedback to other associates or corporate employees so the brand is aware of how
customers are responding to their products.
The second task I performed at my internship with Salvatore Ferragamo was
working with a visual specialist on store displays. For each season, new products
arrive in three stages. Each shipment is a portion of the new collection, and must be
presented in a certain manner in accordance with Ferragamo ideals. Window
displays, for example, must highlight the most coveted products from the seasonal
collection, and must also transmit a story to the viewer. Corporate employees in
New York and Florence decide which items are ‘red hot,’ which are usually looks
highlighted on the runway. The displays are presented in a manner that radiates the
inspirational elements behind each collection. Each story must attract customers
and also stay true to Ferragamo’s fashion vision. While working with the visual
specialist at the Chicago location, we presented pieces from the fall collection that
would appeal to Midwesterners in terms of design and practicality. Although
Ferragamo boutiques in places such as Bal Harbor and Beverly Hills receive
sweaters, furs, and coats, they do not emphasize those items in displays because it
would not agree with the climate. In Chicago, we displayed these furs and coats
14. 12
because of consumer demand for cold weather clothing. Within the store, the visual
specialist based the layout of the products on the same principles in the window
displays. Each display fixture had to incorporate a story and had to respect the
priority of the products, also like the window displays.
The third task I performed while interning at Ferragamo was assisting in the
store inventory process. For this, every employee had to manually scan in every
item within the store so that corporate employees can assess products, revenue, and
success of certain products over others. Inventory allowed us to measure the
monetary amount of products within the store, thus showing how Ferragamo
allocates products and prioritizes each boutique location. Unfortunately for our
location, there had been a theft incident of nearly $5000 before the store inventory
process. Not only was this an obvious monetary issue, it also became a legal issue
that resulted in high legal costs.
The fourth and main task I performed as an intern was assisting Jason Ross. I
worked with him mainly on internal communication matters such as contacting
product buyers, planning events, allocating products, and relaying company-wide
new business to other boutique locations. When communicating with buyers, I
would inquire about new product deliveries and promotional information about
these products and collections. I would also contact them when we sold out of items
in order to inform customers if products would be restocked at our location. When
forwarding company-wide business to other boutiques, the task was simply
emailing the managers from each boutique with the information provided from
corporate. Another aspect that I assisted Jason Ross in was planning a store event
15. 13
for September 10th, 2014. The event was a social charity gathering in which a
percentage of the amount sold that night was donated to a local charity. I assisted
my supervisor in securing a catering company, a music performer, and creating
invitations. The guest list consisted of Ferragamo’s top tier clients in Chicago, and
important figures such as Mayor Rahm Emanuel, Ferragamo’s regional directors
from each major sector in the United States, and certain professional athletes. I
unfortunately could not attend the event, but I am grateful for the opportunity to
have helped plan an event for a company that I highly admire and that philanthropy
was the basis of the gathering.
Appendix Disclaimer
I regard my internship at Salvatore Ferragamo as an extremely beneficial
experience. I gained very valuable knowledge of the fashion and retail industries as
well as being exposed to how public relations works within this sector. Given that
the tasks I performed at my internship were not traditional PR pieces such as press
releases and editorials, I do not have any tangible work to include in an appendix.
Although I did not conduct any traditional PR work, I created meaningful
relationships within the internal world of Salvatore Ferragamo and gained
knowledge of Ferragamo’s company practices that I will apply to my future career in
the fashion industry.
17. 15
Self- Evaluation
My summer internship with Salvatore Ferragamo was an irreplaceable
opportunity that I am fortunate to have experienced. Working at such an illustrious
high fashion brand solidified my passion for the industry and allowed me to create
meaningful relationships that I will continue to foster into my future. As an intern, I
was treated with respect and a sense of professionalism that many other interns do
not receive. Granted that the staff I worked with were very welcoming and kind, I
believe that it is the principles of the brand that allow for such a pleasant work
environment.
The fashion industry is not a patient or forgiving industry. My past
internships in fashion have been extremely demanding with no room for error and
strenuous hours and tasks. In the past, I have interned at companies that were not
enjoyable to work at, and where my work was not appreciated. At Salvatore
Ferragamo, however, I felt accepted and valued. Since Ferragamo is one of the only
fashion brands that remains family operated, I believe that this sense of family and
hospitality truly impact the employees and creates a strong workforce. When
Salvatore Ferragamo started the brand, he incorporated influences from the Italian
lifestyle into his designs and his business practices. Since the concept of a strong,
close-knit family is of great importance within Italian culture, Ferragamo worked to
translate that mentality into his brand. For 87 years the brand has continued this
mindset, and as an intern this past summer I truly felt that I was part of a family.
Not only did I feel as though I was part of a family, I also believe that I grew
closer to my Italian heritage. I was exposed to the Italian fashion world and the
18. 16
characteristics that define Italian fashion from other styles. Prior to my Ferragamo
internship, I was familiar with Parisian fashion qualities and knew little about the
philosophy of Italian style. Now having learned the Italian way of fashion, such as
the materials used, the care and quality in product creation, and cultural influences,
I feel as though my personal sense of style has changed for the better. I have
adopted a newfound sense of pride in my heritage, and will continue to cultivate
that notion as I continue into a career in the fashion industry.
Along with the acceptance I felt at my internship, I also was treated like a
true professional. I never performed mundane tasks such as coffee-runs or other
demeaning errands. I was presented with real communication and business work.
Since I was communicating with important figures in the company, I felt as though I
was regarded as important also. This treatment helped me to mature not only
professionally but personally as well. I feel as if I now have a clear vision of how to
behave in the workplace; with elegance and creativity. In addition to maturing in the
workplace, the brand’s aura of maturity also translated into my personal life. I feel
mentally more mature and refined.
Conclusion
Having interned at Salvatore Ferragamo this past summer, I learned vital
lessons and was able to experience a preview of my future career. My internship
furthered my knowledge of Italian fashion, helped me mature professionally and
personally, and heightened my sense of pride in my culture. Although my internship
with Salvatore Ferragamo is now in my past, the experiences and knowledge I
obtained will support my future career in the fashion industry.
19. 17
Bibliography
Brookins, Laurie. "Ferragamo's Massimiliano Giornetti." Vegas Magazines RSS. N.p.,
n.d. Web. 7 Sept. 2014.
<http://vegasmagazine.com/style/articles/massimiliano-giornetti-steers-
ferragamo>.
Jarvis, Paul. "Salvatore Ferragamo Advances as Much as 8.3% in Milan Stock-Market
Debut." Bloomberg.com. Bloomberg, 29 June 2011. Web. 8 Sept. 2014.
<http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-06-29/salvatore-ferragamo-
advances-as-much-as-8-3-in-milan-stock-market-debut.html>.
The Salvatore Ferragamo Group. N.p., n.d. Web. 8 Sept. 2014.
<http://group.ferragamo.com/en>.
Wilson, Anamaria. "Fashion's Best Kept Secret." Harper's BAZAAR. N.p., 30 Oct. 2012.
Web. 7 Sept. 2014. <http://www.harpersbazaar.com/fashion/fashion-
photography/ferragamo-massimiliano-giornetti-fashion-shoot-1112#slide-
1>.
