Manolo and Arnaldo Ferrara

The ready-made fashion brand of costume designers, set designers, and interior decorators. Manolo Alfonso and Arnaldo Ferrara live and work in New York. Alfonso was born in Cuba. Arnaldo, who moved to the United States in 1978 and first came to attention as a sculptor, was born in Venezuela to Italian parents. Together they designed prêt-à-porter collections, including Manolo Ready Couture and a line of wedding dresses called Original Bride Couture by Manolo. They designed the interior of the New York bar Silencio. They took part in the Milan Triennale in 1994 as designers, in the Maggio Danza in Florence in 1995 as costume designers and in the Florence Biennale in 1996. With about thirty other creators of different forms of art, including Calvin Klein, Gucci, Missoni and David Bowie, the designers were invited by Pitti Immagine to take part in the project New Person-New Universe. The exhibition, held at Leopolda Station in Florence, took inspiration from the discovery of new planets made possible by the Hubble telescope.