The Hunt Magazine: Winter 2020
REASON TO CELEBRATE
UNIONVILLE SADDLE’S DAVID FERRON LAUNCHES HIS UNIQUE READY-TO-WEAR LINE.
PHOTOGRAPHS BY JIM GRAHAM
STORY BY MELISSA JACOBS
Photographed at West Chester, Pa.’s Greystone Hall.
Hair by Mary Hauer, Artistic Edge Salon, Kennett Square, Pa.
Call it a pandemic pivot with a side of twirl. This fall, designer David Ferron unveiled his new ready-to-wear line for women. Sprinkled with sequins and strategically placed grosgrain ribbons, garments include both special occasion and casual pieces. “It’s my first stab at retail and online sales with my own brand,” says Ferron. “I’m hoping to serve more clients and in a different way.”
The Stephanie cape, Julia denim jacket and other items are named for Ferron’s clients and inspired by the pieces he made for them. “Working with real women is what I love to do,” Ferron says. “The fashion industry doesn’t always serve their needs.”
In the three years since opening Unionville Saddle in Kennett Square, Pa., Ferron has become one of the region’s rising fashion names. A 2011 graduate of Parsons School of Design, from which he won Womenswear Designer of the Year, Ferron is known for his body-conscious tailoring and using luxurious materials in eco-friendly ways. “There’s so much waste in the fashion world,” Ferron says. “We can do better—with better design.”
That ethic was supposed to be on full display at a runway show scheduled for this past March at the Brandywine River Museum of Art. “It would’ve taken place throughout the museum, in a ‘fashion is art’ way,” Ferron says. “The museum and the entire Brandywine Valley played huge roles in my childhood and are part of my inspiration. It would’ve been a full-circle moment for me.”
When it was cancelled due to the pandemic, Ferron thought he’d reschedule the show. Eventually—after busying himself sewing nearly 5,500 masks for Nemours/A.I. duPont Hospital for Children—Ferron gave up on his plan. But the pandemic pause nudged his creativity in new directions. “I’m still making clothes for women of all sizes and in a sustainable way— just in a new venue,” Ferron says.
Ferron’s new line is available at Unionville Saddle’s Kennett Square shop and online at davidferron.com.
