Next March, Ferrari will open its new London flagship on an 800-square-meter corner site at New Bond Street and Piccadilly. That context explains why Rocco Iannone’s mood board for this pre-fall collection drew on a cross-section of British aristocracy that ran from royals to rebels, and why the collection itself adopted distinctly British codes. These included intricately blurred wool-and-cashmere Prince of Wales checks, shirting-cotton mini-dresses, and richly colored stone washed corduroy pieces far softer than anything found down on Jermyn Street.
Yet while the London launch invited Iannone to adjust the visual scenery he imposed on the clothes, the collection remained firmly aligned with his increasingly defined fashion manifestation of Ferrari. “I’m here to interpret the lifestyle side of our brand, rather than the cars,” he said. Pre represents around 80% of the brand’s total offer, so the collection was designed to stir the blood of Ferrari’s existing client base while steering clear of the more elaborate conceptual gestures typically showcased on the runway.
A new line of men’s satchels and gear bags reflected the fact that leather bags, accounting for roughly thirty percent of all sales, are the brand’s pole position proposition. Leather outerwear remains Ferrari’s second most important category. This season’s lineup included a sharp, double-breasted oxblood caban for women, styled with matching trousers, boots, and bag, alongside some substantial crackled-leather shearlings. Elsewhere were calfskin work jackets and suede bombers, both cut with recurring racing-suit details in shoulder construction and pocket shape.
Knitwear, specifically sweaters, currently sits third on Ferrari’s commercial grid. This season’s offering included waffle-knit polo sweaters with a textured, tweedy bottonato finish, cloudy cashmere twinsets, and fringed cashmere sweaters and dresses. While presenting a series of tactile granadiriso knits, Iannone pointed out the absence of logos on some pieces. “It is important that the product can also speak alone,” he said.
Ferrari-ness, when emphasised, was sometimes treated as an optional addition, most notably through detachable prancing-horse brooches applied to the lapels of cold-washed, suede-collared, double-bonded, silk-lined work jackets and trousers, rendered in a complex, clouded British sky gray. Iannone repeatedly returned to the officina, or garage, as the origin point of the brand’s craft. This was expressed through bolt-head rivets with an industrial gleam and a print of technical drawings depicting the metal hardware used across the collection.
A relationship between cars and clothes was also articulated materially. Wool tailoring fabrics incorporated Ferrari’s Q-cycle yarns, made with repurposed automotive by-products, while small leather goods were cut from offcuts of Poltrona Frau hides originally produced for vehicle upholstery.
“It’s what our clients recognize as properly Ferrari,” said Iannone. “The shape is loose, there is overfit. It’s a luxury mood that’s interesting at the same time, not boring and not too classic.” As he approaches his 10th runway show for the brand this February, Iannone seems confident in his control of Ferrari’s fashion lane.
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