Alberta Ferretti steps down as creative director of the iconic brand she founded 43 years ago

Italian designer Alberta Ferretti announced on Tuesday that she is stepping down as creative director of her eponymous brand, which she founded over 40 years ago. In an email to her followers, Ferretti reflected on her decision, stating, “On Sept. 17th, you attended my last fashion show. Yes, it’s time for me to make room for a new chapter for my brand, a new narrative. It was a difficult, complicated, but a very thoughtful choice.”

At 74, Ferretti assured fans that her brand will continue to bear her name and that she will soon reveal her successor. The fashion group Aeffe, which owns the Alberta Ferretti label along with brands like Philosophy di Lorenzo Serafini, Moschino, and Pollini, confirmed that Ferretti will remain as vice president of the group.

Her final show during Milan Fashion Week showcased her summer collection in a striking venue—a courtyard of a former cloister turned science museum. Ferretti highlighted the artisanal quality of her designs, stating, “They are real summer clothes, because the world in the summer is very warm. I know a show is supposed to be a show, but reality is important.”

Having grown up in her family’s dressmaking shop, Ferretti opened her first boutique as a teenager and has consistently embraced her signature feminine silhouettes since launching her brand in 1981. In her farewell message, she noted, “The Alberta of that day is in many ways still the Alberta of today, even if in the meantime a small family business has become a company with 1,500 employees.” As Ferretti transitions to the next phase, her legacy in the fashion world remains firmly established.