A three-step synopsis of two fashion house creative directors spearheading innovative and iconic design.
Creative Directors from left to right: Maximilian Davis and Matthieu Blazy
Maximilian Davis | Creative Director, Salvatore Ferragamo
Trajectory
Manchester-born and London based with Trinidadian-Jamaican heritage, Maximilian Davis graduated from the London College of Fashion in 2017. A rising designer, he worked under celebrated British-Jamaican fashion designer Grace Wales Bonner before launching his own label, Maximilian, in 2021. At age 26, Maximilian joined the Italian fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo in March 2022.
Fashionable Facts
With impetus from nonprofit talent incubator Fashion East —which counts pop singers Rihanna and Dua Lipa as clients—Maximilian debuted his line, Maximilian, at the ICA Theatre for 2021 London Fashion Week. In 2022, he was nominated for the LVMH Prize but later withdrew.
Inspirations
Maximilian is motivated by family heritage, specifically, that of his Trinidadian grandmother and his own visits to the country, evidenced in his collection Scarlet Ibis, named after a native bird with allusions to Trinidad’s Carnival. Other references include West Indian and Creole depictions by 18th-century Italian painter Agostino Brunias, as well as the life of politician and abolitionist Jean-Baptiste Belley. These—among other stimuli—inform his vision to create designs that celebrate Black identity.
Matthieu Blazy | Creative Director, Bottega Veneta
Before taking the lead at Bottega Veneta, Matthieu was the right hand to former Creative Director Daniel Lee.
Trajectory
Born in the fashion capital of Paris in 1984 and returning at age sixteen after military school in England, Matthieu Blazy later attended La Cambre design academy in Brussels. After interning briefly at Balenciaga, he went on to work at John Galliano, Raf Simons, Maison Margiela, CELINE, Bottega Veneta, and Calvin Klein before returning to Bottega Veneta as design director at the behest of parent company Kering. A year and a half later, Matthieu was promoted to Creative Director.
Artisanal craft and an appreciation for superior materials fuel Matthieu’s love for timeless style
Fashionable Facts
Prior to this lead role, Matthieu was the right hand to former Creative Director Daniel Lee. Matthieu and his partner Pieter Mulier share a calling; Mulier is Creative Director of fashion brand Alaïa.
Fashion designer Matthieu Blazy walks the runway during the Bottega Veneta Ready to Wear Spring/Summer 2023 fashion show as part of the Milan Fashion Week on September 24, 2022 in Milan, Italy
Inspirations
You won’t find Matthieu scrolling Instagram for trendy consumables—artisanal craft and an appreciation for superior materials fuels his love for timeless style. Matthieu’s solo Winter/Fall 2022 debut collection drew from Bottega Veneta’s luggage and handbag legacy, with creative explorations in leather.
Four Salvatore Ferragamo stores are located within the Brookfield Properties portfolio, including Iconic Collection destinations: Ala Moana Center, Miami Design District, Grand Canal Shoppes, and Tysons Galleria.
Five Bottega Veneta stores are located within the Brookfield Properties portfolio, including Iconic Collection destinations: Ala Moana Center, Brookfield Place NY, The Shops at The Bravern, Tysons Galleria, and Miami Design District.
