Maria Sole Ferragamo: "I like to challenge the idea of what a luxury object is and what principles guide an industry."

Few can say that they turned their childhood dream into a fully-fledged business. Maria Sole Ferragamo, the granddaughter of legendary Italian shoemaker Salvatore Ferragamo, is one of them. Trips made to the Ferragamo factory left a lasting impression on her mind, one that saw her launch SO-LE STUDIO with the mission to transform leftover materials such as leather and brass into unique sculptural jewellery.

Bazaar India speaks to the designer who talks about what she wanted to be as a child, spending time at the factory, who inspires her, her challenges, and much more. 

Harper’s Bazaar: Born as the granddaughter of the legendary Salvatore Ferragamo, what was your childhood dream career?

Maria Sole Ferragamo: To become an artist, a painter or a singer!

HB: How was it spending time at the Ferragamo factories while growing up?

MSF: I was raised in a culture of craftsmanship and creativity. Very early on, I started making jewellery for family and friends, discovering my great passion. At the same time, I started interning at the family manufacturer. All of us from the family interned there at some point, especially during the summers. I was always looking forward to that time of the year, for me it was like spending time in wonderland—being surrounded by creativity, materials of all kinds and beautiful products. Each time I would move from one department to the other, from preparing the leather for the shoes to packaging—it was such a big learning experience.

HB: You studied architecture from Politecnico di Milano and then Master of Arts with specialisation in jewellery from Central Saint Martins, London. From architecture to jewellery designing, how did that happen?

MSF: Architecture and design were my passions from an early age. They still play a huge part in the way I design and make my pieces. But during the course of my studies, I realised that all my creations were somehow miniature buildings, never full-scale projects. That’s when I realised jewellery design was more prominent in my life. I conceive each SO-LE STUDIO piece of jewellery as an organism, as a building living on the human body. Therefore, I apply those same principles I've learnt while I was studying at Politecnico, to my jewellery, it’s really a mindset, a process that translates into visible elements throughout my work.

HB: What got you interested in leather jewellery?

MSF: Leather is a material I was acquainted with at a very early age. I grew to love and respect it, as a living, breathing material. Using leather in jewellery making has been the foundation of SO-LE STUDIO. I first started playing with these leather off-cuts, and I loved mostly the idea of translating the 2D leather sheet into a 3D sculpture using geometrical patterns applied onto the leather with a cutting press. Then by rotating, pressing, and expanding these sheets, I create 3D sculptures. Using leather allows for lightness, comfort and affordability which are key principles of SO-LE STUDIO.

HB: How did the idea of upcycling discarded leather pieces and making luxury jewellery out of them come about?

MSF: I like to challenge the idea of what a luxury object is and what principles guide an industry. Jewellery is defined by a certain set of rules where preciousness means high-value minerals or precious metals such as gold. Even though they are made of leather, my pieces look like precious jewellery as I play with sparkly and shiny finishes, so in my case, the preciosity comes from the craftsmanship and the design, the rest is a trompe l’oeil (visual illusion).

HB: Where do you source your raw materials from and what are the kind of leather pieces that you use to make your leather jewellery?

MSF: From luxury manufactures around Tuscany, I use both off-cuts as well as headstock from fashion houses. These come in batches of a few skins for each type of leather, quantities that would be too little for the big brands to use, but are more than enough for me. Actually, they allow me to give value to scarcity and play with multiple limited editions.

HB: From the design viewpoint, what inspires you?

MSF: Architecture plays a huge part in the way I design and make my pieces. I constantly get inspired by geometrical, repetitive patterns, at all scales. It can be the scale of a building, as a tile on the floor. I am also inspired by the more organic geometry I find in nature as well as optical art and anything that invites you to look deeper, as it doesn’t seem—at first glance—what it really is.

HB: How are the surfaces treated and embellished in your jewellery?

MSF: I tend to look for those leather remnants that already have a metallic finish. So, this is just the way I find them. In some cases, for finishings such as crystal effect or iridescent effect, I apply it on the leather at a secondary stage, working with a manufacturer who specialises in this process.

HB: Is all SO-LE STUDIO jewellery handmade?

MSF: All of our jewellery is definitely very artisanal, with none being identical to the other. I use machines and technology where it can enhance the process and support human hands, but the human touch remains crucial in those irreplaceable parts of the making process; it gives soul and uniqueness to our pieces.