A LUXURY JEWELLERY brand built out of leather scrap and brass shavings? That may seem a bit unimaginable for a luxe connoisseur familiar with the exquisitely crafted natural diamonds from Tiffany or Cartier. But what if the jewellery designer is the granddaughter of Salvatore Ferragamo — the famous Italian shoe designer who has helped the likes of Marilyn Monroe, Audrey Hepburn, and Judy Garland “put on their shoes”, literally!

Maria Sole Ferragamo, founder, SO-LE Studio, has always loved to convert anything that came her way into jewellery. No surprises there; after all, creativity and design run in her blood!

During her growing up years, Sole would intern at Ferragamo factories every summer. She often came across abandoned leather, which she used to create quirky earrings and bracelets.

“I grew up surrounded by creativity, beauty and craftsmanship, which helped me discover my passion for creating handcrafted jewellery. I passionately watched those incredible artisans at work,” says Sole.

The geometric patterns and play with colours in her jewellery take the humble leather scraps to a different level. And since every piece of jewellery is handcrafted from leather scrap and brass shavings rescued from industrial waste, no two pieces are the same. But then, luxury is all about rarity! Her jewellery is retailed only out of her standalone store in Milan, and through select boutiques in Europe.

Sole’s biggest inspiration, not surprisingly, is her grandfather, Salvatore Ferragamo. “I never met my grandfather; he died when my father was just seven. But I had an incredible grandmother and uncles and aunts, and of course my father [Leonardo Ferragamo], who always made his presence felt in our daily lives. I read [my grandfather’s] autobiography at least once a year, and every time, I find something new.”

A family legacy

Salvatore Ferragamo, Hollywood’s most loved shoe-maker, had become one, much against his family’s wishes. Sole sees a lesson in that. “What I learnt from my grandfather’s story is that if you have passion and resilience, anything is possible. I grew up with a huge sense of importance for hard work.”

Hard work for her has also been a conscious effort not to bask in the glory of her pedigree. Before she earned her Masters in design, she studied architecture, which according to her, was the foundation of her creativity.

“I am grateful I studied architecture before design,” she says. “It gave me a mindset that allows me to approach every new creation from a product perspective. I see my jewellery as organisms, as buildings, so, I always strive to find the perfect balance between form and function. There is never decoration for the sake of it. There is a balance between technical aspects and static forms and shapes.”

Her love affair with leather may have begun thanks to her family’s shoe-making heritage, but what fascinated her the most, was that she was making jewellery out of a material that came out of a living being. “After all, with jewellery you establish intimate, emotional relationships.”

The luxury industry has been under the lens globally, for increasing the planet’s carbon footprint. SO-LE Studio’s commitment to make products out of abandoned leather is certainly a tick in the right box.

Sole, however, says she has never defined SO-LE Studio as a sustainable brand because the narrative around “everything green” is on the rise. “I never planned to create a sustainable product. It was my reaction to the reality that there was so much abandoned leather. Given my passion for jewellery making and my creative mind, I thought it was an incredible opportunity and a problem that could be solved.”

For her, sustainability is a mindset. “I don’t think sustainability is a goal that you reach.” However, she agrees that being a new-age brand does give her the advantage of embracing sustainability seamlessly. “Being a younger brand, at a much smaller scale… we are setting up our processes from scratch. We can design the way we want to. Change is always difficult for any human being. It is easier to build than to change, but it doesn’t mean it is not possible.”

Sustainability requires a mindful approach to every action we take, explains Sole. “Instead of taking the route which is the easiest, ask yourself, is this the only way I have to do things, or can I find a better way or a better solution to approach it? I think it’s a matter of always being present, being aware of the consequences of each action you are taking, and having it as a mindset.”

SO-LE Studio makes a fashion statement out of abandoned leather and brass shavings which it sources from leather manufacturers and industrial waste. But, doesn’t luxury upcycling sound contradictory? After all, luxury is all about scarcity.

Sole disagrees. For her, her designs speak for themselves. “We work around scarcity because we work on the principle of upcycling. The material we are working with is finite. After a few editions of that product, the material gets over and that leads to scarcity, so it creates exclusivity and desire,” she explains. “There are touchpoints where you can make sustainable choices and enhance exclusivity.”

She draws her inspiration from reality. “I am attentive to every single detail around me, especially what people talk. These are things people oversee most of the time... My creation comes from things around me.”

Her vision is to bring beauty and intelligence into products, which are also good for the environment. “I want to create jewellery that would create a surprise. I want to challenge new materials and come up with new ways of making things,” she concludes.