Ferretti, Alberta
Alberta Ferretti is an Italian fashion designer, founder of the homonymous brand and vice President of CdA of Aeffe group, founded in 1980 together with her brother Massimo.
Index
- Biography
- AEFFE Company
- Cultural Heritage
- Awards
- Bridal Collection
- Current Situation
- Athleisure capsule collection
- Homage to Venice
Biography
Born in Gradara, in the land of Romagna, on 2nd May 1950, Alberta Ferretti always had a great sense of aesthetics, since when she moved her first steps in her mother’s tailor shop. Here she learned to handle the fabrics, to know the sophisticated colors and to become familiar with the manufacturings. Her sartorial DNA and her ambition are so strong that, only at 18 years, she opened her first boutique, in Cattolica. This experience put her in direct contact with the needs of customers and refined her intuition in anticipating the trends of fashion and the desires of women.
Aeffe Group
In 1974 she produced her first collection, which earns great success among the insiders; encouraged by the public response, six years later, together with her brother Massimo, she founded the company Aeffe, which bears her initials. Over the years it became a powerful corporate group that controls and produces, in addition to the Alberta Ferretti line, also Moschino, Pollini and Velmar.
From the ’80s, business developed in an unstoppable way and the company launched the Philosophy line, ever designed by Alberta Ferretti, aimed at a younger target and positioned on a lower price range. Furthermore, the company purchased licenses for the production of prominent prêt-à porter brands such as Jean Paul Gaultier, Authier, Cacharel and Marithé & François Girbaud.
Acquisitions of equity packages from various other companies began, confirming Aeffe’s strength in moving as an international holding company. While her brother Massimo took care of the economic and management part of the company, Alberta always kept the Creative Direction, focusing on womenswear creations, distinguished by pure and essential lines and decorations with precious embroideries. These were worldwide appreciated and allowed the opening of several boutiques and corner shops in shop in four continents. In recent years particular attention was devoted to the Far East market, on which the company is moving, in line with market trends, to further expand its presence.
Cultural heritage
The designer, over the years, stood out as particularly sensitive to the care of artistic and cultural heritage.
In 1994, with a group of companies and the patronage of the City and the Region, Alberta Ferretti promoted the titanic restoration of the medieval village of Montegridolfo, near her birthplace, on the border between Romagna and Marche. After about six years of work, the village regained its lost identity, appearing as it was at the origins and finding economic sustainability as a new tourist destination. The use demonstrated in the enhancement of this architectural and landscape heritage earned her, in 2000, the honorary degree in Conservation of Cultural Heritage, conferred by the University of Bologna. The same university institute, in 2003, assigned her a chair to hold a master’s degree in Production and Culture of Fashion.
Alberta Ferretti awards
During her career, Alberta Ferretti received many awards, including the The Romantics award from the International Fashion Group in New York, the La Kore Award as Fashion Designer of the Year in 2003, the Career Award given to her by the Mayor of Rome Walter Veltroni as well as the prestigious honorary title of Cavaliere del Lavoro of the Italian Republic.
Bridal Collection
In 2010, as an organic extension for the company, Alberta Ferretti Forever, a special bridal collection was introduced, characterized by romantic and airy dresses, made of chiffon and with embroideries, laces, ruffles or pleats.
According to Aeffe S.p.A. annual report for 2015, the Alberta Ferretti brand increased by 17.0% and its net sales were €23.94 million, while the company total revenue was €274.04 million.
Current Situation
In 2018 Alberta Ferretti designed costumes for Judah, Gianna Reisen’s ballet, on the occasion of the 7th edition of New York City Ballet Autumn Fashion Gala, which debuted in New York on 27th September 2018.
In 2019 the brand and the Aeffe group registered a good performance, while in 2020 the turnover drastically decreased, due to pandemic. The third trimester of 2021, instead, had an increasing turnover, with a sum of 155 million euros.
Athleisure capsule collection
In order to answer to new exigences and new approaches to clothing, in 2021 Alberta Ferretti launched the Alberta Ferretti Athleisure capsule collection: it was a series of fluid, adaptable and transversal items which united athleticism and relax of leisure time, with that attention to detail and harmony which has always been the signature of Alberta Ferretti.
In the same years Aeffe group acquired the 100 % of Moschino.
Homage to Venice
In September 2021, at Ca’ Rezzonico, Ferretti paid an homage to Venice for her 1600 years, with damask fabrics, precious jewels realized by Massimiliano Schiavon and much gold. There were fringes, velvet marquetries and laces on tulle, soleil pleatings, embroideries which design elongated and magic silhouettes, made graceful by capes which envelop them in mystery. In particular, the fabrics were realized in collaboration with the historical company Rubelli, at its fifth generation and occupied, since 1889, in the production of fabrics characterized by a careful historical research on Venetian tradition.
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Contacts
Via delle Querce 51, 47842, San Giovanni in Marignano (RN), Italy
To read the item in Italian click here.
YVES SAINT LAURENT
