The Harlem Renaissance was a rich intellectual and cultural art movement of the 1920s and 1930s among African Americans within the Harlem neighborhood of New York City. Characterized by a blossoming state of African American culture and artistic expression, marked by significant advancements in Black literature, performing arts, visual arts and music—namely jazz—the Harlem Renaissance helped foster a new sense of racial pride and inspired subsequent generations.

With this sense of cultural liberation and prosperity in mind, Italian luxury fashion designer Salvatore Ferragamo returned to the 1920s with the release of its spring/summer 2026 collection, exploring various movements of the same period during which the fashion house itself was founded. “I was interested in how certain materials, prints and textiles were imported from across Africa and the Caribbean into America and Europe to become a sign of status,” says British fashion designer Maximilian Davis, who’s been the creative director of Ferragamo since March 2022, reflecting on the inspiration behind the new collection. 

Introducing Ferragamo’s 2026 spring/summerwear, models strutted down the stone runway dressed head to toe in eclectic, contemporary revisions of the highly stylized Roaring Twenties era. Archival references set the tone of the collection, including a 1925 portrait of silent screen star Lola Todd wrapped in leopard print—which was one of the initial sources of inspiration Davis stumbled upon in researching the brand’s beginnings.

The result is a modern reinterpretation of the 1920s jazz age rebellion—a sophisticated, contemporary twist on the era’s free spirit—as seen through fluid silhouettes, speakeasy style suiting, straight-cut slips, drop-waist dresses, diverse textiles, lace cut-outs, graphicism, color-blocking, animal prints, feathers, leather jewelry, fringed embellishments and more. “This was a moment where women were creating a new femininity—it was a celebration of freedom, a reclaiming of self,” Davis affirms. “It was a period where people were creating spaces for themselves and rebelling against societal norms—and that spirit translated into people’s wardrobes.”

As far as accessories go, Ferragamo’s iconic Hug bag made a debut in new mediums—in patent and woven leathers, stamped crock, and nubuck suede—with detachable Gancini hardware, as well as a newly adapted wrist bag and folded foulard-inspired bag. For footwear, a sculpted “S” heel sets a new iteration of the “F” style of previous seasons while the runway also showcases a new caged leather pump, pointed toe pumps, boudoir mules and men’s derby shoes.

Among those in attendance were Naomi Watts, Yusra Mardini, Tina Kunakey, Solange Knowles, Nicoletta Manni, Natasha Dupeyron, Fai Khadra, Lori Harvey, Ludovica Sauer, Macarena Achaga, Kristina Romanova, Greta Ferro, Edward Burns, Claudio Stecchi, Christy Turlington, Anna Dello Russo and others.