From WWD
Quote:
MILAN ? Gianfranco Ferré, the man dubbed the "architect of fashion" for
his sculptured silhouettes, died Sunday night at the San Raffaele
hospital here after being hospitalized for a brain hemorrhage. He was
62.
Official statements from the Ferré fashion house and its owner, IT
Holding, are expected today and details of the funeral are still being
formalized. According to an IT Holding spokeswoman, the company is
still grieving. A decision about what to do about the house's men's
wear show, slated for this coming Sunday, will be made shortly, she
said.
Ferré was among those designers who generated the boom in Italian
fashion in the Eighties and into the Nineties, making Milan in those
years the center of the fashion world. WWD dubbed him the "Frank Lloyd
Wright of Italian fashion," while his staff referred to him as
"l'architetto Ferré."
His clients included Sharon Stone, Elizabeth Taylor, Oprah Winfrey, the
Queen of Jordan, Paloma Picasso, Bernadette Chirac, Claude Pompidou,
Sophia Loren, Princess Diana, Princess Michael of Kent, Marie-Helene de
Rothschild and soprano Jessye Norman.
Strong willed, nitpicky and at times short-tempered, Ferré had a
personality as large as he was as a man. With an interest in everything
from architecture to fine food, art to cultural history, Ferré always
seemed to be restraining himself from either making a joke or having a
temper tantrum. In conversation, there would always be a slight twinkle
to his eye.
"A civil man. The image that comes to my mind when thinking of
Gianfranco Ferré: A man of dignity and calm with a sense of
responsibility which always accompanied him," said Giorgio Armani on
Sunday. "We knew each other for many years, although not very well, as
we both started our careers in what was a special moment for Italian
fashion. However, I always observed his work and particularly admired
him for his coherence and the intellectualism and artistry upon which
he based his fashion philosophy until the end. The greatest sign of his
character was in that constant expression of absolute independence."
Added Donatella Versace: "I am extremely sad. Ten years after the death
of my brother I have lost a dear friend. He was a gentleman of another
time. He was an innovator in terms of form. He created fashion that was
both spectacular but impeccable at the same time. He was a great
courtier that knew how to create absolute chic with details that I'll
never tire of lookingat and that will remain a part of the history of
fashion."
Ferré believed that fashion needed to be stimulated by other
experiences obtained in different fields, periods, cultures and, above
all, from art. "I think I have done my utmost to ensure that my style
is constantly and consistently enhanced by a broad variety of
suggestions, inextricably linked to my passions, my taste and my
experiences," he once said. "It is not difficult, for example, to
identify, in the various collections over the years, my love of the
figurative arts, the great classical painters and, even more, the
strong and simple sensitivity of modern and primitive art. The
references to worlds and cultures I have experienced personally,
particularly in the Far East (India, China, Japan), are easy to see, as
are those to the important experiences of Western culture, from Baroque
to Neo-classicism, Romanticism to Decadentism."
According to Roberto Cavalli, "Ferré embodied the highest level of
style, craftsmanship and creative bravura. He was a true artist, pure,
a beautiful person that [Italian fashion] will truly miss."
Ferruccio Ferragamo, chairman of the family-owned company said that
Ferré "strengthened the ?Made in Italy' style and his ready-to-wear had
an unmistakable, consistent elegance. He will be remembered for his
remarkable persona."
Ferré was inspired by elegance from the past and by such names as Dior,
Balenciaga and Worth, to all of whom, he noted, today's fashion
designers owe something, as well as the shared heritage of sartorial
skills and elegance of the European style.
"I really admired him, he was a very generous person, a friend and
esteemed colleague, who always greeted me with visible pleasure with a
big bear hug," said Anna Molinari.
Mario Boselli, head of the Italian Chamber of Fashion, remembers Ferré
was one of the main protagonists of Italian fashion. "A unique one, who
excelled in ready-to-wear and couture at the same time. He also had a
unique education, he was a creative genius with an architectural and
cultural basis, who still had a lot to say," he said.
Born in Legnano, a small town close to Milan, Ferré secured an
architecture degree at Milan's Politecnico University in 1969 and made
his fashion foray in the Seventies thanks to fashion veteran Walter
Albini, with whom he stated designing costume jewelry and accessories.
In 1978, he founded his namesake fashion house with Franco Mattioli,
his longtime friend, adviser and business partner, until the two had a
falling out in 1999.
In 2000, after a bitter tug-of-war that lasted more than two years,
Gianfranco Ferré and Mattioli sold 90 percent of the company to Gruppo
Tonino Perna, the parent of Italian fashion group IT Holding. Industry
sources say GTP paid between $150 million and $175 million for its
stake in Gianfranco Ferré SpA.
"I am very happy to have concluded this deal with GTP," Ferré told WWD
during an interview at the time. Ferré said he worked on the sale every
night after dinner ? and on Sundays ? together with his management
team. "I have always respected GTP for their consistent appreciation
and support of my work. I chose them because they can offer me so much
? distribution, management, new projects."
He added that, "This agreement respects my creative independence and my control ? and power of veto ? over the creative team."
Tonino Perna, chairman of IT Holding, said Sunday: "I was very honored
to work 10 years with this great man of genius and creativity who
represented Italian style and fashion the world over. His creative
genius is so strong that it will leave an indelible impression in
fashion history. He really became the DNA of our group."
Perna went on to praise Ferré's dedication to his design staff of 40
and to young people whose talent he fostered. He said it was typical of
the designer that Ferré's last public appearance, on Thursday, was at
Milan's Politecnico University, where he was speaking to a group of
students.
As for the future, Perna said the company will continue to work hard to
honor Ferré's vision "to realize his dream and continue his legacy. We
feel very responsible for this inheritance of his work and creativity."
Ferré held his first fashion show at the Hotel Principe di Savoia in
1978 and gradually built his reputation on graphic shapes, artsy
constructions and precision-cut tailoring that exalted a woman's
femininity, at times with a gender bender streak.
Not one to rein in when it came to embellishments and ornate details,
Ferré's designs were never for wallflowers. His clothes were classic
yet powerful, he loved a good suit and offered endless variations on
the white shirt theme, courtesy of exaggerated cuffs and collars,
embroideries, ruches and ruffles.
For Ferré, fittings were among the most exciting stages in the birth of
a collection, the moment when his sketches bounced to life. He would
walk among the models, their bodies like strings of spaghetti next to
his imposing girth, and quietly give orders. Ferré in fact had always
battled with his weight and had already suffered several strokes in
recent years.
"Gianfranco Ferré has the sweetest blue eyes, but when he's mad, those
eyes become like knives," said Katell le Bourhis, fashion adviser to
the president of Christian Dior in 1999. "But the anger doesn't come
from a big ego. It comes from wanting to do the job right."
In 1984, the designer launched his first fragrance and in 1986, tried
his hand with couture, an undertaking he shuttered when he joined Dior
in 1989. Today Ferré is a global, lifestyle package that includes
secondary lines, eyewear, accessories, home collections, fragrances and
directly operated stores.
Bernard Arnault's decision to tap Ferré to succeed Marc Bohan as
creative director at Dior after 30 years came against all odds. The
fact an Italian was to steer the creative reins at a French house was
scandalous to say the least.
"I really had no idea of the scandal I had triggered, also because
everything happened so fast," said Ferré during an interview at his
Milan headquarters in May. "Back then, the fact that I was Italian
created lots of problems. Luckily, though, my French wasn't that bad."
But over the years, the French developed a liking for Signor Ferré, who
made a point of keeping Dior separate from his own brand.
"Ferré was about tradition in a mannish way, with contrasting elements
and ample volumes, while Dior was more conservative, more about
grandeur," the designer said.
For a good six months, Ferré gravitated closer to the Dior universe by
dipping into the archives. Season after season, his collections shifted
design focus as they celebrated dandy, Renaissance, dash for cash,
tailoring in all forms and Snow Queens.
Fashion critics, though, didn't always treat Ferré's efforts kindly, which he still recalled vividly.
In March 1993, International Herald Tribune fashion critic Suzy Menkes
wrote, "?The conclusion is that Ferré will never be a great couture
designer," calling his couture an "artistic flop."
"She was so harsh, but I did try to extrapolate constructive criticism in what she said," the designer said earlier this year.
"I really feel sad personally and on behalf of the company," Christian
Dior president Sidney Toledano said Sunday night, shortly after
learning the news of Ferré's death on French television. "I extend my
sympathies to the family."
Toledano said many workers in the atelier worked under Ferré, who was
Dior's couturier from 1989 to 1996. "They respected him," he said. "I
will see the atelier (Monday) morning first thing."
Ferré recently remembered his Parisian days chez Dior as "unique and
grandiose. An experience that I will never regret. I think that I
turned Dior into something real and alive without betraying the luxe
factor and its clients," he said.
In 1998, when asked by W whom he would like to succeed him he
responded: "After all, many Italian designers are putting into place
structures that will allow their companies to continue long after they
retire. I haven't given it much thought." Ferré says after a moment.
"But one thing's for sure. Whoever he is, he'd better be strong."
Ferré is survived by a brother and sister-in-law, as well as his
cousin, Rita Airaghi, who until recently was also his communications
director. ? With contributions from Luisa Zargani, Amanda Kaiser and
Miles Socha
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