By Nick Isaza

Bally by Rhuigi Villaseñor

When Rhuigi Villaseñor was tapped as the new creative director of Bally in January, people had no idea what to expect from this seemingly unorthodox relationship. Bally is one of the oldest luxury brands in the world, founded in 1851 in Schönenwerd, Switzerland. However, recently, it has not been too prominent in the fashion world, focusing on leather goods and more conservative projects. Rhuigi, on the other hand, is a designer known for the influential streetwear brand Rhude, which cropped up in 2015 and was an immediate success. An LA native, Villaseñor took the city captive, and everybody from rappers to your everyday Melrose loiterer was wearing the signature Rhude bandana print.

Villaseñor opened the Bally show with a luxe tiger stripe suit paired with a green purse and golden shoes. These motifs would continue to pop up throughout the show as Villaseñor  transported the audience, blending 70s sex appeal with LA breeziness through loud animal prints mixed with leather, and roomy unbuttoned wide-collared shirts. Villaseñor clearly kept the house’s history in mind, bringing out some tastefully tailored suits that managed to stay away from the stuffy suiting of old with roomier silhouettes, wide peak lapels, and unique color choices. The footwear choices are also important to note; we see fishnet sandals, bold print boots, mules, and Mary Janes, all elevating the final looks. Though gorgeous in their own right, many of Villaseñor’s looks did seem very referential to the great designers of the past – think Tom Ford and Gianni Versace’s younger collections. However, as Villaseñor  embraces this role and brings more of his exceptional taste to the table, we can only hope he can follow in the footsteps of the aforementioned legends.

 Ferragamo by Maximilian Davis

Let’s be completely honest: Ferragamo is known for being one of the more boring fashion houses. They haven’t taken many risks recently, seemingly resigning themselves to being the investment banker’s loafer of choice. However, when Ferragamo tapped budding industry star Maximilian Davis as their new creative director, it seemed the brand was ready for a new direction and wanted to climb back to the glory days of the 60s, when it was known as one of Hollywood’s favorites.

Davis is a relatively new name in the industry; he is 27 years old and only started his eponymous brand Maximilian in 2020. Despite this, his clothes immediately stuck with some of the most fashionable celebrities, such as Rihanna, Dua Lipa, and Kim Kardashian, who have all been spotted in Davis’ designs. Davis has always drawn inspiration from his Trinidadian roots. His work focuses on bridging the gap between streetwear and luxury and the racial biases these two carry. In this same vein, Davis used the deep, striking shade of red from the Trinidad flag throughout the show, from flowing gowns to bold suits. In this sense, Davis appears to be using a strategy out of Valentino’s pink playbook by tying a color directly to the brand’s new identity. As the show rolled out, the clothes all showed Davis’ intent of injecting a young, contemporary feel to Ferragamo while making sure to pay homage to the brand’s rich history. Models walked across the deep red sand sporting swanky sheer dresses and monochromatic suiting options. At the same time, more contemporary looks such as full bodysuits and leather blazers worn with shorts injected life into the brand’s offerings. The show’s highlight was Davis’ usage of a particular dye technique known as “Dégradé,” where the color of the pieces seemed to capture a Caribbean sunset with beautiful oranges, reds, and blues all bleeding together.

Altogether, the show is a massive step up for  the brand and shows a promising willingness to embrace the future. While it may be too early to declare Ferragamo as a major pull already, if this show is any indication of Davis’ vision for the brand, then these following collections will definitely be ones to watch for.