PORTRAIT: COURTESY OF SALVATORE FERRAGAMO; RUNWAY AND BACKSTAGE: JASON LLOYD-EVANSF SALVATORE FERRAGAMO creative director Paul
Andrew happened to be meandering down Tokyo’s
Omotesandō, a boulevard lined with zelkova trees and
towering luxury flagships, as I am right this minute, I’m
guessing he’d find the scene a tad depressing.
The streetwear-ification of luxury has hit this post-
card precinct hard, with shop windows filled with
d sneakers, logo-emblazoned hoodies, technical outer-
oversized everything. Andrew has vented his frustration
in past interviews that this isn’t what luxury fashion should be
about, and he reiterates that view when we meet a few hours later
in an art gallery around the corner to discuss the brand’s A/W
2019 collection. “You could say I’m doing the opposite of what
everyone else is doing right now. Yes, clothes have to have ease
and wearability, but they still need to be elevated,” he says.This
makes him sound the uptight type, but he’s the exact opposite:
a clean-cut version of Daniel Craig who jokes constantly (“Come
see this silk suit I’m dubbing the ultimate hangover outfit!”), but
takes his role of brand guardian incredibly seriously.
The Brit joined Salvatore Ferragamo in September 2016 as
design director of women’s footwear, moved up a rung to women’s
director a year later and now sits poised at the top of the ladder,
also overseeing menswear since February (Guillaume Meilland
stays on as men’s design director). On the surface it appears a
speedy climb, but an apprenticeship in the footwear atelier at
Alexander McQueen followed by stints at Calvin Klein, Donna
Karan and Narciso Rodriguez working on accessories instilled in
him an appreciation for craftsmanship and commercial nous —
a winning formula in today’s fickle market.Salvatore Ferragamo’s new creative director
talks to Eugenie Kelly about designing fromthe feet up, living next door to the royals and
his take-no-prisoners approach to luxuryLuxe redux
Paul Andrew.104 HARPERSBAZAAR.COM.AU^ September 2019
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