Sustainability is a huge deal right now, especially in Planet Fashion. Consumers are getting more conscious of the waste that fast fashion produces, and are opting for more sustainable options. However, a certain impression have formed in consumers’ minds, that anything that’s upcycled, or “ethical”,  is ugly and tends to look like it was constructed and made out of jute/gunny sacks, recycled materials, and the like.

Thankfully, from brands that have created plastic raincoats that will self-destruct and automatically disintegrate without harming Mother Earth, to the utilisation of vegetable dyes, more and more brands have come up with designs that are not just environmentally friendly, but also fashionable at the same time, and Salvatore Ferragamo is one of them. In fact, Ferragamo has just unveiled a new Capsule Collection called 42 Degrees made completely from sustainable materials and components from Italy, featuring the work of 2 designers that have won an international competition judged by an international panel of experts, journalists, and influencers, in conjunction with the Sustainable Thinking project, launched by the Ferragamo Museum.

The Capsule, comprising a men’s sneaker, women’s sneaker, backpack, and shopping bag, were created by 2 young designers from the Italian House: Flavia Corridori and Lucia Dimotta. Citing the iconic Rainbow sandal from the Ferragamo archives as the inspiration behind the 42 Degrees Capsule Collection, hence the rainbow ribbon details around the shoes, and on the bags.

The main inspiration comes from Salvatore Ferragamo historical archive and from an iconic sandal, Rainbow, a model of 1938 with rainbow colours. Our collection is named after the 42nd degree, the height of the sun that makes this extraordinary optical phenomenon visible. We have chosen models involving a simple manufacturing process, but which are characterised by an innovative detail, a multi-coloured ribbon that constitutes the leitmotif of the collection, and by sustainable materials, as well as by Gancini metal accessories, which make Ferragamo’s style distinctive. This capsule collection is dedicated to fashion enthusiasts who care about the future of the planet

The leathers on these items have been developed exclusively for Salvatore Ferragamo with wet white chrome and metal free tanning, while shoes are constructed out of calfskin and natural rubber, dyed with colours that come from plants grown on Italian soil. The fusspot insole on the shoes are fully made of organic fibres derived from corn, kenaf, and wool, and have been constructed without any chemical binders, while the lining on the bags, are water-based instead of solvent-based. As for the ribbon, it is made of shuttle fabric, and dyed with a system that allows lower levels of consumption of water, fossil fuels and chemicals, and made from a yarn obtained from an exclusive high-tech polymer, which doesn’t involve any chemical processes. 42 Degrees is 100% Made in Italy.

The Capsule collection is now available at select Ferragamo boutiques in Milan, London, Florence, New York, Los Angeles, Hong Kong, Chengdu, Shanghai, Beijing, Seoul and Tokyo, as well as e-commerce websites in Europe, USA, Japan, Korea and China.

Images courtesy of Salvatore Ferragamo