The fashion runway is, at its core, a stage. So it seems only natural that Maximilian Davis, now in his seventh season at Ferragamo, would turn to the world of dance for inspiration. His Fall/Winter 2025 collection draws from the austere elegance and functional grace of German Tanztheater, particularly the revolutionary work of choreographers like Pina Bausch.

“The twenties were a moment of freedom, of people rebelling and creating spaces for themselves,” Davis explained backstage. This creative tension — between rebellion and structure, between the 1920s and 1980s — animates a collection that feels both disciplined and liberated.

The silhouettes are decidedly inspired by the 1920s — straight-cut silken slips inset with drop-waist lace appliqué, while georgette dresses are collaged with strips of shearling. But Davis has filtered these references through a thoroughly modern lens, incorporating utilitarian leathers and tailoring details that speak to the collection’s exploration of contrasts.

“The surrealist idea of taking everyday objects and making them feel a little disturbed is something I feel very interesting,” noted Davis. “Creating a sense of discomfort in the expected.” This philosophy manifests in dreamlike prints that appear in flashes and off-stage wardrobes entirely knitted from jersey yarn in fluid reconfigurations of familiar forms.

It’s in these poetic dualities that Davis demonstrates his maturity as a designer. The softness of cashmere against the utilitarian edge of leather. Fluid satin trenches belted taut across the body. Feathers flattened; poppies trailing from ribbon-like stems. Each juxtaposition captures what Davis describes as “emotive dialogues between love and longing, freedom and control, romance and passion.”

The accessory story is equally considered. Davis has cleverly transformed the house’s signature Hug bags, doubling and belting them across the body or reimagining them as feathered pouches. The abundant florals of Ferragamo’s eighties campaigns and archival shoes are directly translated into footwear: blooms realized in organza, leather, and satin overspill across almond-toe pumps or, for sandals, wrap around calves.

For men, classic brogues and booties are refigured with zip fastenings or heavy-grained leather — what Davis calls “perverse additions” that further the collection’s exploration of contrasts.

A standout innovation appears in a new wedge, inspired by Salvatore Ferragamo’s mid-century innovation for a seamlessly covered shoe, now adopting an elongated, Futurist form. It’s a perfect embodiment of Davis’s approach: honoring heritage while pushing it forward.

What’s particularly striking about this collection is Davis’s choreographic sensibility. Like the Tanztheater movement that inspires him — which experienced its own revival in the 1970s and 1980s, “another time of liberation,” as Davis points out — each element feels precisely placed yet emotionally resonant.

In an era when designers often conflate volume with vision, Davis’s ability to communicate so much through such considered means is refreshing. This collection continues the narrative that he has been carefully crafting since his appointment: one of understated elegance, intelligent luxury, and a deep respect for the body in motion. It’s fashion as choreography — deliberate, precise, and ultimately, deeply human.