Four runway shows in, Maximilian Davis is stepping forward as he seeks to crystallize his ready-to-wear identity for Italy’s greatest luxury footwear marque. Today he returned again to the house’s founding decade as a starting point, saying in his release: “The 1920s used clothing as a way to celebrate freedom. And that expression of freedom is something which resonates with me, my heritage, and with Ferragamo.”

Today’s expression of freedom opened with a salvo of wool-cashmere olive green looks that included cropped greatcoats with very wide quilted belting: along with a narrow collared olive leather shirt and skirt, similarly belted, plus more also olive overcoats, the effect was minimally military. As he moved into russets and brown versions of similar outerwear-led ensembles, we seemed set on a pretty literal route into fall-winter territory: then some very thigh high wader-inspired womenswear boots and some very short shorts in menswear (both edged the leg at its northern reaches) provided the first significant design-led deviation (those big belts aside). Slowly a contrast emerged between the apparently heavy architecture of the outerwear and the sheerness and sometimes disintegration (in fringed skirts) of the garments they surrounded: this seemed an unresolved debate between the provocative and the polite.

The Davis-claimed shade of Ferragamo red reported for duty in a split loop-hemmed dress and a tailored safari suit. There were some interesting deconstructed versions of his opening uniforms worn as cloaks belted from the shoulder. The belting continued to tighten its grip as this collection’s defining motif, used loosely on a long mustard-toned organza dress and in silk-shot menswear suiting. A green knit dress that loosely self-belted around the body and a green belted parka with a tonal, Tetris-esque pattern were lighter, lovely pieces. More menswear waders preceded a gorgeous aubergine treated dress in silk satin (at least that’s my guess): along with two otherworldly dresses in red or black leather panels shaped to create a fish skin effect this was the strongest look of the collection.

Two tailored black double-breasted dress-outerwear hybrids featured carefully unconventional collars shaped as an unorthodox frame for the face. A black knit sweater and sequin yellow dress sported vaguely sub-aquatic life sketches and a suggestive but unelaborated upon Ferragamo red fil rouge. Davis had arranged his show with lighting beamed sparely and directly down along the models’ runway route, as if to overshadow the collection’s sometimes-feathered footwear with the ready-to-wear and fleur-de-lis styled Gancini bags above. Back at his first show Davis spoke of “reenergizing” his new house and working “to understand what the younger client needs to make it a success.” Davis’s free expression has certainly brought a fresh spark to Ferragamo. Commercial ignition reportedly remains elusive, but with patience it should surely catch.