The Sybaritic Single has been observing Ferragamo for quite a while. The brand carried a timeless appeal of a slowly dying luxury, similar to a long-forgotten nonna from Tuscany.
The first class amenity kit onboard Singapore Airlines was probably one of the boldest collabs the Italian brand has ever done (Asians seem to have more love for the brand) – but even this kit was eventually replaced with something more sophisticated and modern. Similarly, Ferragamo hotels reflected the brand’s DNA: cozy, niche and, quite frankly, closer to four stars than luxury.
It all started to change when the company got “renamed and renewed” last year in an attempt to increase the appeal of the 95-year-old house.
The founder’s hand-written Salvatore Ferragamo logo got replaced by just FERRAGAMO in a simple serif font and to mark the occasion the brand launched a new flagship color registered in Pantone with the color number 3546C: a deep, emotive red. Dangerously close to Valentino, the Sybaritic Single finds.
With a new CEO and a new creative director onboard, the Ferragamo family insisted on still owning the brand. Their hotel company, the Lungarno Collection, had engaged in a decade-long negotiation to secure a 30-year lease – and in December 2022 the most ambitious property to date, the superbly elegant Portrait Milano, (lobby, image above) was eventually unveiled.
Michele Bönan designed the 73 suites and rooms, all located on the upper floor of Europe’s oldest seminary (1565), accessed off the wide cloisters that surround the piazza below. The Sybaritic Single admires seven different pillow types including “temperature and moisture-regulating” pure bamboo and minimal “technological frustrations”. Plants rather than cut flowers everywhere.
The pool and spa (opening in late 2023), amidst the atmospheric arches of the basement, will emerge in perfect symmetry with the exemplary style statement made above ground. Operated by The Longevity Suite, the raison d’être seems pretty clear. “Europe’s most advanced biohacking and anti-age city clinic”, they aim to keep their clients alive as long as possible.
“A great fit for FERRAGAMO,” the Sybaritic Single concludes.
