He had access to the finest education in Britain and the United States, speaks four languages, spends his free time exploring the gorgeous Tuscan landscape of Italy, and is doing what he loves, which is producing wine on his family’s estate.

Thirty-seven-year-old Salvatore Ferragamo Jr is not only named in honour of his legendary grandfather but he also inherited a globally loved Italian brand.

It’s been almost a century since the older Ferragamo, a shoemaker in Naples, Italy, moved to the United States in 1912 and started work at a Boston shoe manufacturer. Later, he started making shoes for movie sets and became known as the “Shoemaker to the Stars”, with clients such as John Barrymore, Audrey Hepburn, and Rudolf Valentino.

Since then the Ferragamo empire has grown from shoes to ready-to-wear for men and women, accessories, leather goods, and fragrances, and today this luxury Italian brand is sold in major cities worldwide.

Ferragamo Jr and his twin brother, James, are the eldest sons of Ferrucio Ferragamo, CEO and chairman of the Salvatore Ferragamo company.

Ferragamo Jr oversees the company’s subsidiary, the Il Borro winery and the project of restoring private luxury villas, while James is the women’s leather product director for the Ferragamo company.

Ferragamo Jr, who holds an MBA and majored in marketing and international business at New York University and the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, had worked as an accountant at KPMG Peat Marwick in Florence in Italy for three years before joining the family business.

In 1997, when Ferragamo Jr was 26, he began overseeing the wine production at Il Borro, an estate that the Ferragamo family bought from the Italian royal family in 1993.

At the point of purchase, parts of the estate had been damaged in World War II; Ferragamo Jr helped to kickstart the restoration works by artisans.

Following the estate’s restoration, the family replanted new vineyards and now Merlot, Cabernet Sauvignon, Sangiovese, Shiraz, Chardonnay and Petit Verdot are produced on the 38ha estate.

“The reason we decided to produce wine is because, today, wine has become a luxury natural product which has a genuineness that comes from the earth, and this best represents those values which our family believes in,” says Ferragamo Jr in an e-mail interview from Florence.

So what’s it like being the grandson of a celebrated man?

He says, “It is an honour to carry his name and I feel this is such a privilege, so I do my best every day to preserve his reputation – but absolutely without pressure.

“Although I am an heir to a luxurious Italian brand, I think I am more of an heir to deep tradition, education and, above all, respect for the past.

“I believe in nature, craftsmanship and preservation of anything that comes from my ancestors, and those values are present in everything I do,” he stresses.

At Il Borro, Ferragamo Jr manages the estate, which entails maintaining the high-quality standards of the wine production, monitoring the market and main competitors, and understanding consumers’ needs and expectations.

He also manages the luxury accommodations that are hired by clients looking for an elegant escape from reality.

“I hope to keep caring for Il Borro with as much passion as possible, trying to preserve its rural and natural aspect, so that clients can breathe and feel its Tuscan roots. In fact, I think my grandfather would love Il Borro,” he adds.

When the brand’s fragrance division came up with its latest male fragrance this year, F by Ferragamo Pour Homme Black, which expresses the charismatic personality of the man who wears it, it was not at all difficult to find a “face” for the fragrance.

When Ferragamo Parfums approached Ferragamo Jr and asked if he wanted to embody the lifestyle angle that it was creating for its new male scent, he jumped at it.

“I am Italian and I am a Ferragamo, so I immediately felt comfortable in representing this fragrance,” he says.

The ad was shot in Rome over two days. Says Ferragamo Jr of the experience: “I was dressed in a tuxedo and was ready for an elegant night out in Rome, which was the perfect image to represent the essence of the fragrance.

“It has been an amazing experience and I had a lot of fun enjoying the Roman atmosphere.

“When it comes to the Ferragamo Parfums division, I’ve always showed particular involvement and predilection for the combination of the delicate notes in the development of a scent.

“Dealing with wines, I am used to special tastes and smells, and I think that this fragrance is the perfect mix of elements,” he points out.

Ferragamo Jr places as a top priority innovation in all processes, from product development to marketing activities, and he stands for quality and timeless elegance.

When it comes to customers, he says, “A deeply rooted brand such as ours has created strong links to our customers and it is this trust that they have when they buy our products.”

Ferragamo Jr believes that men should dedicate time to themselves and groom without haste.

“A fragrance is like an accessory which should enhance the style and personality of the man who wears it. My grandfather always said that a fragrance is the last touch to a lady’s or man’s look,” he says.

“I never met my grandfather but through my family’s stories, I learned about the type of person he was, how he set an example for us to follow in terms of his creativity, wisdom, honesty, and great intuition for the future.”

He adds that he is most proud of his grandfather’s values and what he was able to create without neglecting his family.

Ferragamo Jr seems to be following in his grandfather’s footsteps: when he is not looking after his wines, he spends time with his wife and children sailing or horse-riding throughout the Il Borro estate and other family estates in Tuscany.