Ford's Blue Oval adorns Versace men's line at Milan Fashion Week
Built Ford Tough just kicked it up a notch.
The luxurious Versace Fashion House reached out to Ford Motor Co. for a one-year licensing deal and introduced a men’s clothing line splashed with classic Ford logos during the 2019 Fall-Winter collection at Milan Fashion Week in Italy.
“Was it a collaboration with Ford that got Versace all revved up this season?” asked Women’s Wear Daily, a fashion industry authority for 100 years. “The Italian brand adopted the swirly blue Ford logo as a motif on trousers, miniskirts, shirts and a lovely color-blocked leather jacket with a retro feel. Versace said the brand teamed with Ford to channel the 'excitement of buying your first car,' and the masculine energy around a powerful engine.”
Ford was the surprise ingredient during a runway show on Jan. 12.
The Versace Man collection “reflects on the modern concept of man, an idea of masculinity that pushes the boundaries and breaks the rules of menswear by challenging notions and stereotypes,” the clothing company said in a news release.
“Only a confident man is able to see beyond the status quo and challenge it. This newly found attitude gives him the freedom and security to ignore conventional norms around beauty, and even more so, around masculinity.”
That's no blue-collar price
Detroiters might call this blue-collar chic.
At a designer price.
For example, at the official Ford merchandise store online, a hoodie can be purchased for $40.
Versace hoodies online appear to range from $332 to $1,135 at Neiman Marcus.
The runway collection included Ford's famous logo on sweatshirts, shirts, sneakers and pants.
Fashion superstar Donatella Versace said in a news release, “If I had to find a word that defines today’s men, it would be daring.”
A Ford collaboration was inspired “by the excitement of buying your first car,” the fashion house said. “Excitement and aspiration of owning something as an extension of your personality, something very connected to the idea of being a man.”
Italian fashion designer Donatella Versace said in the release, “If I had to find a word that defines today’s men, it would be daring.”
Ford executives took the partnership in stride.
“We’re seeing a lot of luxury brands pairing with iconic brands that are kind of opposite,” said Joy Falotico, chief marketing officer for Ford and president of Lincoln Motor Co.
“There’s a clothing brand called Supreme, and they partnered with McDonald’s,” she said. “And Marc Jacobs did something with MTV. Coca-Cola has done a lot of branding. That’s why we weren’t really that shocked.”
What is unusual with this situation is that Versace did all its own designs with the logo.
“We license out our merchandise. But this was new to me for sure," Falotico said. "They wanted to pay homage to the Ford brand."
Though Versace was purchased by Michael Kors in 2018 for what has been reported as more than $1 billion, Versace is still known for its famous Italian family.
“This is about the authenticity of a family business. Basically, this is what they said in their proposal to us,” said Falotico, who noted her favorite Versace items are the leather jacket and the hoodie. “Ultimately, they’ll decide what pieces will end up in the limited collection.”
Ford: Cool without trying
Why does Ford want to partner? Not only does the spotlight reinforce Ford’s unique heritage, but the project aligns the Ford brand with pop culture.
“It probably makes people think of Ford maybe a little differently,” Falotico said.
Robert Davidman, an advertising executive at the Fearless Agency on Madison Avenue in New York, said learning Versace approached Ford was, well, “that’s shocking.”
“They’re turning iconic imagery into a fashion statement,” he said.
Cross-pollinating the NASCAR crowd with the fashion set is cutting edge, and it’ll appeal to men in Los Angeles, Chicago, New York and Miami, Davidman predicted. “For the automaker, it adds a little chicness to it. It says, hey, we’re cool without having to try. The 'regular guy' look is in.”
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Ford, of course, just announced that it sold an average of one F-Series pickup truck every 29.3 seconds in 2018. On Monday at the Detroit auto show, it introduced a Mustang Shelby GT 500, the fastest street legal Mustang ever built, which goes 0-60 mph in less than 4 seconds.
Meanwhile, Versace will launch a limited edition collection sold across Versace boutiques globally. Pricing of the designs will be determined and announced by Versace at a later date.
In celebration of the fashion event, Ford sent a global licensing manager from Canton, Michigan, who worked on the project. Ford asked that her name remain confidential. The rest of the team stayed home to work on the North American International Auto Show, which kicked off 48 hours later.
Terms of the Ford deal are confidential, said Ford spokeswoman Elizabeth Kellogg.
The 2019 Versace Fall-Winter show included famous female models Kaia Gerber, the 17-year-old daughter of legend Cindy Crawford; and Emily Ratajkowki, the “I Feel Pretty” actress.
This isn’t the first automotive partnership signed by Versace. In 2006, the fashion house partnered with Lamborghini to design 10 luxury vehicles sold with luggage, driving shoes and driving gloves, according to lambocars.com.
Now Ford has new status among the rich and powerful.
“Through a collaboration with American car company Ford, the Italian label got a gas-powered boost with decidedly masculine edge,” wrote Footwear news, a fashion industry leader. “Ford’s blue and white logo appeared on trousers, miniskirts and even jackets.”
Follow her on Twitter @phoebesaid
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: Ford's Blue Oval adorns Versace men's line at Milan Fashion Week
