THE SCION ALSO RISES
When Salvatore Ferragamo, the scion of the eponymous Italian luxury fashion brand, shares his passion about wine and style, people listen. Join our Lance Avery Morgan and Rob Giardinelli, with their Success With Style podcast series, as they catch up with the timeless stylemaker and vintner.
Salvatore Ferragamo is as nice as you might think. Along with the fact that he is tall, handsome and smart, his family’s name is world renowned, and he represents a fashion dynasty as well. Recently, dressed in a custom Ferragamo suit as one would expect, he visited Neiman Marcus San Antonio, as well as the Valeria Ristorante in Boerne for their Bellissimo Wine Dinner to promote his Tuscan vineyard, Il Borro, a 1000 year-old, 700-hectare luxury resort and sustainable farm in the ancient hills of Arezzo. When we caught up with him to learn about his stylish approach to life he quips, with his eyes smiling widely, “Texas is special and you have almost as much pride as we Italians do. Your state is the heart of America and I am glad to be here again.”
There’s no doubt that the Ferregamos lead a stylish life. During the week, he and his wife Tini, and their three daughters live in Florence and they spend weekends “on the farm” as he calls it, located about 45 minutes away. “If you’ve seen the film, Life Is Beautiful, that’s it, that’s what it’s like. You must come and see it,” Ferragamo shares. Originally, Salvatore’s father, Ferruccio Ferragamo wanted to renovate the property, as well as the castle, when they acquired it in the early 1990s. Now it’s a Relais & Chateaux hotel complex that’s a must-stay destination for luxury travelers and also, hosts plenty of weddings.
Even though winemaking wasn’t in his original vision, the younger Ferragamo, who garnered his MBA from New York University after cutting his teeth in the family business, saw the possibilities for winemaking as a distinct fit for Il Borro. Not only is organic wine produced, but also they harvest olive oil, honey, fruits and vegetables, beef and chicken, that is all served at Il Borro. “We think it’s a very authentic approach. You’re staying in a medieval village. So really the element of authenticity is what makes our guests feel very comfortable and they understand that they’re in a truly unique place that also happens to have a negative carbon footprint,” he says. Plus, there is the wine that has been award-winning since its first introduction in 1999.
“You know, wine is an incredible field,” Ferragamo confides. “Because you can gain so much knowledge and I think it’s important to demystify wine and not get intimidated by the complicated lingo. It has really been an incredible journey of learning and that’s the beauty of the wine business for me.” When we ask about how he likes to entertain at his wine dinners, he is quick to note, “You want to have those people that are ready to learn about wine and they’re curious also to see how the wine interacts with their food. So, that makes for the best kind of dinner parties.” The dinner parties at Il Borro have become legendary with the family surrounding itself with interesting and stylish attendees.
When asked about his own style icons, Ferregamo notes, “I have an Italian father and an English mother. “That’s a good hybrid, so I’ve had a bit of experience from both the Italians, and at the English boarding school. I also had a wonderful grandmother who was the matriarch of our family. She was incredibly stylish, kind…and a really iconic person who has been very special in my life.” He goes on to say, “She felt it was always important to have balance, which is really very closely related to elegance. And, always to feel comfortable with the incredible quality of the clothes you’re wearing and the way that you look that’s elegant, classic…and truly you.” We will keep that in mind for a future visit to Ferragamo’s Il Borro.
Before she joined Project Runway, Orr worked for different fashion lines in New York. “The dream for me was to make it there and you know, it’s hard,” she confides. “There was a big adjustment because I’m not the best with crowds and there it’s all about crowds. I mean, your daily commute is in crowds. Your life is in crowds. That was a big change and it brought me out of my shell. It thickened my skin in a very good way.”
Successfully running her own design firm on her own now, she says, “I works as a team with my Ferrah business partner Lea Nyland, who is wildly talented. She’s from Denmark, and we have very different fashion philosophies, but coming together is the coolest part. We think that collaboration is amazing and that’s what makes my brand better. I was hoping to get that as well from being on Project Runway.”
Expect to see long lasting success from Lela Orr because, as she states, “I’m trying to encourage people that sustainability is not just a trend. It’s actually a movement and the future. So more people need to prove your practice of zero or minimal waste. Even if it’s in the smallest way.”
The real artistry of Terrence McNally is revealed and revered with his gentle manner. In the performing arts world his work is about as close to a sure thing hit as it gets and to many, at the age of 80, his best work lays ahead of him. With McNally’s new production at ZACH Theatre, overseen by Producing Artistic Director Dave Steakley, he takes the audience back to the world of the piece, originally titled Fire And Air, to explore the rich history of the great Russian impresario Sergei Pavlovich Diaghilev and his legendary Ballets Russes. Many know that Diaghilev introduced the world to such revolutionary artists as Nijinsky, Stravinsky and Picasso. In fact, as McNally is quick to note, “Few plays are flawless at their world premiere. Plays are not written, they are re-written. I knew in New York that the play was not finished to my satisfaction and I was grateful when ZACH invited me to finish my work on the play with a new director, a new cast, and most importantly, a new text. A change of title, even after a first production, is not an unusual part of a play’s journey. Away We Go in Boston became Oklahoma! before Broadway.”
The playwright’s unabashed authenticity is palpable in our conversation–likely the reason some of the most superb talents of our time work with him again and again. Chita Rivera, whom we caught up with at McNally’s eight decade birthday celebration commented, “Almost everything that comes out of my mouth are his words,” referring to their many winning collaborations on Broadway.