Salvatore Ferragamo’s Ascent To Hollywood’s Star Cobbler Charted In New Podcast

When it comes to shoe designers few compare to that of Salvatore Ferragamo. Humble beginnings don’t begin to describe the origins of the to-be cobbler to the stars, with the likes of Greta Garbo, Joan Crawford, and, of course, Marilyn Monroe being certified Ferragamo fanatics. Born in a small village outside Naples as one of fourteen children, shoemaking wasn’t the obvious career choice for the aspiring creative. Still, through sheer will and determination, Ferragamo would become one of the most influential shoemakers of the 20th century.

Now, for the first time, his story is being told in the Salvatore Ferragamo. Shoemaker of Dreams podcast. Produced by the Museo Ferragamo, the podcast follows the designer’s ascent from his small southern Italian town to his takeover of Hollywood before ultimately becoming a fashion legend. Split into eight twenty-minute episodes the series covers Ferragamo’s origins, including the trials and tribulations he faced running his company during the Second World War, his creative process, and his journey west to California.

Told in the first person by Eric Alexander voicing Salvatore Ferragamo, listeners are immersed in the designer’s story like never before. With Ferragamo’s autobiography of the same name as the primary source material, episodes feature direct quotes from the designer on his first impressions of Hollywood, the challenges he faced with the rice of the industrial process, and his lifelong romance with his wife Wanda.

‘His figure starts to appear more like a wizard, a healer, an architect, an engineer, and a brilliant visionary’, says Stefania Ricci the director of Museo Ferragamo. Since it was established in 1995 by the Ferragamo family, the Museum Ferragamo’s mission is to not only preserve the designer’s archives, but solidify his legacy as one of the premier fashion designers of the 20th century. Along with exhibitions at the Florentine Museum, the institution worked closely with director Luca Guadagnino on the 2020 documentary Salvatore: Shoemaker of Dreams.

The Salvatore Ferragamo. Shoemaker of Dreams podcast is streaming now on all major podcast platforms.