Ferragamo Shares Boosted after Confirmation of 2024 Forecasts

A view of Italian luxury fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo's logo at a store in Milan, Italy, March 6, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of Italian luxury fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo's logo at a store in Milan, Italy, March 6, 2024. (Reuters)
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Ferragamo Shares Boosted after Confirmation of 2024 Forecasts

A view of Italian luxury fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo's logo at a store in Milan, Italy, March 6, 2024. (Reuters)
A view of Italian luxury fashion house Salvatore Ferragamo's logo at a store in Milan, Italy, March 6, 2024. (Reuters)

Ferragamo shares jumped on Tuesday after the Italian luxury group confirmed its full year profitability forecast, despite the announcement of a likely impairment writedown in the range of 70-90 million euros.

The group confirmed the guidance at a time of uncertainty for the luxury industry, a Milan-based trader said. He added that the writedown has only an accounting impact.

Shares in Ferragamo were up almost 6% at 0915 GMT.

Ferragamo's stock has lost almost half of its value in the last year and its market capitalization slipped below 1 billion euros ($1.05 billion).

Purchases are driven by attractive valuations, with the stock close to an all-time low, another trader said.

Salvatore Ferragamo said late on Monday that an impairment test would likely result in writedowns of 70-90 million euros, mainly deriving from store lease agreements.

The group, which is struggling with a turnaround under CEO Marco Gobbetti, added that these impairment assumptions will not result in any financial payout and it confirmed the group's operating profit forecasts.

Analysts at Equita, who rate the stock as "Hold", added a note of caution after the statement.

"The need for these write-downs signals less visibility on the prospects of improvement of the group's results in the medium term," they said.

Ferragamo didn't provide detailed full year guidance, but in October it said that the operating profit this year would be at the lowest end of analyst estimates, meaning around 30 million euros.



Sandal Scandal: Prada Credits New Design's Indian Legacy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
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Sandal Scandal: Prada Credits New Design's Indian Legacy

Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi
Customers shop for 'Kolhapuri' sandals, an Indian ethnic footwear, at a store in New Delhi, India, June 27, 2025. REUTERS/Adnan Abidi

Luxury fashion powerhouse Prada has acknowledged the ancient Indian roots of its new sandal design after the debut of the open-toe footwear sparked a furor among Indian artisans and politicians thousands of miles from the catwalk in Italy.

Images from Prada's fashion show in Milan last weekend showed models wearing leather sandals with a braided design that resembled handmade Kolhapuri slippers with designs dating back to the 12th century.

A wave of criticism in the media and from lawmakers followed over the Italian brand's lack of public acknowledgement of the Indian sandal design, which is named after a city in the western state of Maharashtra.

Lorenzo Bertelli, son of Prada's owners, responded to the sandal scandal in a letter to a trade group on Friday recognizing their Indian heritage.

"We acknowledge that the sandals... are inspired by traditional Indian handcrafted footwear, with a centuries-old heritage," Bertelli, Prada's head of corporate social responsibility, wrote in the letter to the Maharashtra Chamber of Commerce, seen by Reuters.

The sandals are at an early stage of design and it is not certain they will be commercialized, but Prada is open to a "dialogue for meaningful exchange with local Indian artisans" and will arrange follow-up meetings, he wrote.

A Prada spokesperson issued a statement acknowledging the sandal's inspiration from India, adding the company has "always celebrated craftsmanship, heritage and design traditions".

Prada products are beyond the reach of most Indians. Its men's leather sandals retail for $844 and up, while the Kolhapuri slippers, sold in Indian shops and street markets, start at about $12.

India's luxury market is small but growing fast, with rising numbers of rich people buying Louis Vuitton bags, Lamborghini cars, luxury homes and watches.

Conversely, Indian culture and crafts are increasingly finding their way into global brand designs. High-end jeweler Bulgari offers a $16,000 Mangalsutra necklace inspired by a chain traditionally worn by married women.

Bertelli's homage to Indian design was sent in a response to a complaint from the head of the trade group that represents 3,000 Kolhapuri sandal artisans, as the online uproar gathered momentum.

"From the dusty lanes of Kolhapur to the glitzy runways of Milan... will the world finally give credit where it's due?" India's DNA News posted on X.

Sambhaji Chhatrapati from the Kolhapur Royal family told Reuters by phone he was upset that craftsmen had not been acknowledged for the "history and heritage of 150 years."

Kolhapur-based businessman Dileep More, however, said images of the Prada sandal were bringing cheer to some artisans as they show their traditional product going global.

"They are happy that someone is recognising their work," he said.