Ferragamo dropped its founder's name and rebooted itself to court Gen Z

Salvatore Ferragamo had spent decades as a comfortable but ageing leather-goods house, dependent on older customers and shoes. It hired Marco Gobbetti as CEO in January 2022 and then young designer Maximilian Davis.

The dramatic move was a rebrand: the house shortened its identity to the single word FERRAGAMO, redesigned its logo, and committed to a young, fashion-forward look while keeping the luxury positioning.

It worked fast. First-half revenue rose 20.3% to €630 million, with Europe up 45.8% and North America up 41.6%, as new product and a younger customer base lifted the business out of a post-lockdown slump.

Ferragamo's first-half 2022 revenue rose 20.3% to €630M, with Europe up 45.8% and North America up 41.6%, as a rebrand courted younger shoppers.

Ferragamo needed to refresh a customer base that was skewing too old.

A short, bold name and new logo signalled change more loudly than refreshment.

A young creative director brought relevance and fashion credibility.

The repositioning converted older leather strength into new-category growth.

For an old heritage brand, a clean break in identity and talent can reset perception with a new generation faster than incremental refreshment.

Ferragamo's brand refresh and new creative direction became the template it used to chase a younger, more fashion-led customer, even as the broader luxury market later cooled.