The Ferragamo store at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong renovated last year

James Ferragamo settles into his chair with a sigh and orders an espresso. Tall and slim, he has model good looks; the Italian’s clear blue eyes are presumably thanks to his English mother. The eyes look tired, and he says he needs the caffeine for the night ahead; the grandson of Salvatore Ferragamo, who has just reopened the refurbished Ferragamo store at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, is about to host some of the region’s biggest names. As women’s leather product director for the brand, he will launch the L’Icona project in Hong Kong as part of celebrations for the 35th anniversary of the Vara shoe, a Ferragamo classic, with its mid-heel, grosgrain bow and gold plaque.

For Ferragamo, the project is about making the experience of buying shoes more personal. “The concept was about doing something that was individual,” he says. “It’s not for everybody, as not everyone wants to wait seven weeks for a shoe, but I believe this is the way high-end retail is heading. Today you can have anything as the distribution of products is vast and so global. People are searching for something personal. We want customers to be enthused about what they are buying and to know the value of it. Some companies seem ashamed to say it, but fit is also very important. Painful feet should not happen at Ferragamo.”

As part of the L’Icona project, which enables patrons for the first time to custom-order their shoes online, renowned photographer Cedric Buchet has captured style icons from Hong Kong, Mainland China and Taiwan, such as Michelle Chen, Zhu Zhu, Jennifer Yin, Tina Leung, Candice Chan and Li Hui, wearing the instantly recognisable Vara or the newer version, the Varina, a ballet flat.

At the reopening of the refurbished store at the Mandarin Oriental, Hong Kong, a traditional lion made from Ferragamo scarves dances at the shop entrance, cleverly mixing the Italian know-how of Ferragamo with a little local flavour, exhibiting the type of attention to detail that makes a brand stand out from the crowd.

Michelle Chen wearing Salvatore Ferragamo shoes

“Craftsmanship still remains a symbol of Italy today,” says Ferragamo. “And Italian craftsmanship cannot be replicated elsewhere. Many brands have made different decisions, but my father was adamant that we didn’t make anything outside Italy. Other than the watches, which are made in Switzerland, we have not broken that rule yet.”

Ferragamo’s grandfather, who had immigrated to the US as a 14-year-old, started the family firm in Hollywood in the 1920s as the film industry was putting down roots. Once the business was established, he moved back to Italy to set up a workshop of skilled craftsmen that could produce shoes of the high quality he had in mind.

Read the full story in the March issue of Philippine Tatler, available now on newsstands and bookstores. Download the digital version from Zinio or Magzter.