Meet Rocco Iannone, the driving force behind Ferrari Style.

Portrait of Rocco Iannone; Portait by Bruno + Nico Vanmossevelde

In June of 2021, Ferrari debuted their first runway collection in Maranello during Milan Fashion Week. While, at the time, the thought of the luxury car brand merging into the world of fashion seemed to raise a few eyebrows, Rocco Iannone was no stranger to these two worlds and was able to capture the spirit of Ferrari through high-quality design details, innovative materials and elevated house codes. Three years have passed, and the brand has quickly cemented itself in the world of luxury fashion under Rocco, the driving force behind Ferrari Style. We chat with him to learn more about this journey.

Ferrari Style runway shot; Ferrari runway; Courtesy of Ferrari

What does Ferrari mean to you?

Ferrari embodies desire, passion, craftsmanship and innovation.

You came into Ferrari (which is synonymous with F1) with somewhat of a clean slate and no previous runway archive. How do you translate a name heavily associated with cars and racing into fashion?

As you can imagine, the translation process takes a lot of time. Initially, it was essential to connect the brand to fashion but also consider where the brand came from. When I started to work on my first collection, I received a lot of input on how
to conceive an idea of aesthetics when talking about Ferrari. I was told it must be very sporty and have fine Italian tailoring. What was most important to me was to convey the global values used to address Ferrari, and starting from that, I tried to convey a whole idea of what the Ferrari lifestyle means and how to dress for it.

Ferrari Style utilizes premier materials for its accessories. Ferrari runway; Courtesy of Ferrari

What design details have you been implementing that are core or staple to the brand DNA?

After six collections, I understand how important it is to our clients to create sophistication and how to convey the spirit of the brand into these collections. I have two approaches that work in parallel. The first is very formal regarding aesthetic elements, sensual lines and voluptuous shapes, and the use of colors and surfaces from the Ferrari Imagery. Then, there is a non-material approach, which is closer to the feeling of our brand—the eroticism, desirability, power and sense of energy that we must convey.

Fashion and technology go hand in hand; in terms of production, materials, and craftsmanship, is there any crossover between the automobile and clothing manufacturing processes?

Similarly to cars, we introduce new materials and technologies into design. We actually use a yarn that we get from recycled tires; we have a process that allows us to transform the rubber of the tires into a yarn that we use for knitwear and fabrics. When I talk about technology meeting craftsmanship, it’s much more important now to work on special materials with interesting properties and aspects and transform them into something wearable and useful during our daily lives.

Ferrari runway; Courtesy of Ferrari

Do you have anything exciting to share for F1 week in Miami?

For the first time, we are coming to Miami and bringing the three pillars of Ferrari: luxury cars, racing and lifestyle. During the week of Formula 1, we are unveiling a unique Miami capsule collection.

The Ferrari Miami Capsule Collection will be available on May 2 by private appointment only at the Faena Hotel Miami Beach and online on May 6 (U.S. Only) at store. ferrari.com/en-us