SALVATORE FERRAGAMO - FALL 2009 - SO LUXE OFF THE SHELVES
HAPPY NEW YEAR everyone! So far, the new year has been a blast - of COLD AIR! The cold snap is being felt all over the country - and all over the Northern Hemisphere. (Great selling point for European customers - also feeling the cold weather at home). While this is bad for Citrus fruit, it is great for knitwear sales! With all the chic knitwear pieces Ferragamo showed for Fall, this weather has created a great second sale opportunity.
It's time to get in touch with customers who bought one knit, but could fall in love with another style or color. Not to mention any outerwear piece that might be left in stock. Several wrap style cape / ponchos can be worn sized up or down - especially when sale prices are involved! Colors coordinated so well, she might be looking for a coat to go with the blouse or knit. Take the time to think of any customers that you had last fall, but you haven't connected with them since the holiday. Remember, in November we were complaining how unseasonably warm it was.
The combination of the weather - and the economy kept many customers from buying like they would have in a typical fall season. The new year has people feeling better about their finances. ** Especially important if you have clients who work on Wall street or finance related industry. Bonuses will be coming this year, and soon! You might have noticed the New York Times had more watch ads than usual this past Sunday. This was not a coincidence - bonus time on Wall Street creates greater sales of designer watches than a typical month. Those of you with Men's clients - think twice and suggest a timepiece to your client. Maybe the Chrono with Gold casing?
TRENDS OF THE SEASON
B461 - MARY
Looking ahead to Spring 2010, the Ferragamo design team has mastered the art of dancing between classic themes and catwalk styles.
Earth tone colors will be seen in the hottest collections from Paris, Milan and New York. Celine had a strong re-launch with Phoebe Philo's (say Feebie Filowe) first offering as the creative director. Remember Phoebe was responsible for taking Chloe into the stratosphere at the turn of the century. She was in the shadow of Stella McCartney and was passed the baton when McCartney left to head her own label backed by Gucci Group. Some say Chloe was always more Phoebe than Stella - Lets come back to that one another time! 
MISS VARA - DAISY
What is important is that Philo showed clean, lean designs for Celine for Spring 2010. Think saddle leather skirts and clean, minimal blouses. Perfect items to wear with our Gill detailed slides and Miss Vara Hobos. Super chic in a melange of brown, metallic gold and bronze. Any Hermes customer who appreciates the saddle browns and bronzes can be a big fan of our Metallic leathers for Spring 2010!
Another strong trend for Spring 2010 is muted, feminine prints - seen in the 
A685- BALLERINE SKIRT"Spring Garden" and "Ballerine" prints at Ferragamo. Soft and flattering, these pieces are great items to build a woman's wardrobe.
One of the hottest RTW collections in Paris is Lanvin. Alber Elbaz is the man behind the re-birth of Lanvin. You should know his name and study those pieces on style.com. That man knows how to make a woman look and feel sexy. Lanvin shows color drenched dresses and blouses- perfect to accessorize with a floral skirt, scarf, or one of Ferragamo's muted metallic bags. 
EXCELLENT VALUE - EXOTIC TOTE - SENSUAL AND CHIC
Stepping out for Spring - Elbaz added rich prints and even more texture. Take it to the next level by suggesting your clients wear prints with the scale details from Spring. Trust your instinct to know which ladies you can suggest this to. Take a chance and let your customer know you are a fashion authority.
This makes two great options for a Lanvin lady at Ferragamo. Wear a colorful blouse or dress with a floral printed skirt, or scarf - or accessorize with a super chic muted metallic Ferragamo bag.
Ferragamo and Lanvin share the similar approach to brand recognition. The pieces speak for themselves and neither brand is known for a "Logo".
Salvatore Ferragamo once said "But if designers must wait for their customers to become conscious of new styles who, then, determines fashion?...The answer is: new fashions begin in the mind of the designer. He must not stifle all his ideas merely because the world is not yet ready for
them. I have no season."
(from the illustrated autobiography of Salvatore Ferragamo, "Shoemaker of
Dreams", pages 223-224)
The same is true for you as an associate. If most customers knew what looked best on them - we would all be out of a job. Ferragamo offers more styles than most fashion brands in the world. You have a unique opportunity to have huge collections to choose from. Not every style might be your favorite, but it doesn't have to be.
SALVATORE FERRAGAMO - 1932LEGACY OF LUXURY
Salvatore Ferragamo was the first designer to use exotic leathers from the Sea such as Sting Ray, Eel, and various fish skins in the decoration and design of luxury footwear (circa 1928). The Spring collection celebrates this legacy with painstaking detail executed in "Scales" of leather. 
C172- GIORDANA Every fold of leather is hand crafted, giving this group some of the longest production time of any style we have featured in recent memory. Styles Githa and Giordana were two big stars of our Spring Previews from Coast to Coast. This craftsmanship is really a benchmark in the industry and should be celebrated and shared with your clients. Remind them of the hours of work that go into every pair of shoes. Remember, many customers simply don't know - or take for granted the process involved to produce these items. The educated consumer develops a heightened sense of appreciation of a brand like Ferragamo. Our job is to educate our customers and increase their esteem for the brand.
PENELOPE CRUZ IN "NINE"As I said earlier, Ferragamo has mastered the combination of 50's retro chic and the ultra modern feel of today's hottest runway. Giuditta and Ginestra are perfect examples. 
SOPHIA LOREN - DUE NOTTI CON CLEOPATRA - 1953 The platform wedge conjures up images of Beautiful woman on the Italian Riviera in the 50's and 60's. Think of Sophia Loren with her smoldering sexuality. 
GIUDY - PEEP TOE PUMP In fact, Sophia Loren was the guest of honor at a party hosted by Mr. Ferragamo in 1954 to celebrate the "new" Sea-Leopard shoe. Today we can look at Penelope Cruz in the musical Nine for her exotic beauty. The thing to remember is how easy it is to reference a retro fact or style icon and then bring it forward to today.
The coral / cork group are fun shoes to talk about. Everyone loves the sea and talk of coral, mermaids, and the ocean. Glenna in Turquoise was well received at every Spring preview. 
C207- GLENNA Be sure to point out how light this shoe is. Your customer will feel like she is walking on air. If she can't wear a platform, suggest C158-Gaudi peep toe pump -OR Guidy in Bisque- classic and super chic!
FERRAGAMO TIME
In 1937, Salvatore Ferragamo turned heads and made history with his latest shoe creation - The Cork Wedge Heel. Ferragamo registers the first patent ever filed in the world of footwear. Ahead of his time and out of this word - Mr. Ferragamo's style is timeless.
RUNWAY WORDS
The finest raw materials are used to make these luxury items, crafted by artisans. Our terminology should be as sophisticated as the items themselves. Learn one new term every week, and make it part of your vocabulary.
Ruching - a sewing technique in which fabric or ribbon is gathered in a repeating pattern to form ruffles, scallops, or petals. (say - rooshing).
Melange - a mix of colors or yarns that forms a combined hue or texture. Most often referred to when describing knitwear or tweeds. (soft g pronunciation as in orange).