Pretty pearl mules. High-shine boots. Sultry sandals. Here are 16 standout shoes you don’t want to miss from Milan Fashion Week.
1. Jimmy Choo
Longtime creative director Sandra Choi wants to challenge this “busy, crazy, eclectic” time in fashion by refocusing on glamour and elegance. For fall, she picked the pretty pearl as the hero embellishment for many key styles. Mini pearls adorn strappy sandals and a standout mule featured an all-over treatment. Evening bags also showcase multiple plays on the pearl application. Function was also top-of-mind for the designer, and she unveiled interchangeable two-in-one boots this season that can be worn either as tall versions or booties. Choi herself modeled a statement liquid gold boot that matched the presentation’s vibe quite perfectly.
2. Gianvito Rossi
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Rossi, always a Milan Fashion Week shoe highlight, delivered another must-have collection that emphasizes the feminine, elegant and wearable styles he’s known for. “It’s very intimate with all the laces and lace,” he said.
But he also mixed things up with a series of rock n’roll-inspired pointy-toe pumps and sandals adorned with buckles and fashioned in a variety of wearable heel heights. “Low heels look young to me now,” he said. Another favorite of the designer’s? A vinyl bootie with white stitching. “It’s a little bit like Catwoman,” he said.
3. Giuseppe Zanotti
“My women change completely from the day to the night. Their uniform is totally different,” said the designer, of his fall offering, aptly titled “Bonjour Nuit.” Statement styles include suede sandals adorned with crystals, plexiglass and purple feather detailing. A new geometric heel, in gold or steel, is paired with soft stretch leather boots. Zanotti also is offeringup some new convertible boot looks — which can be worn as boots, booties or even pants.
4. Sergio Rossi
This season, the refueled Italian label unveiled its new SR Milano collection in the historic Teatro Gerolamo, originally built in 1868. Inside, colorful revolving geode displays provided a cinematic backdrop for the shoes — which all feature a squared heel and metal plate first used in the brand’s SR1 collection. Standouts from SR Milano include booties decorated in oversized paillettes and grommetted leather pumps. “There is one element on the heel that unites all of the shoes,” CEO Riccardo Sciutto said. “The heel is black, with the metal plate that is found on the front of the SR1 shoe.”
5. Giannico
6. Fratelli Rossetti
The heritage brand is refocusing on its iconic tassel loafer, the Brera, which turns 50 this year. This season’s key style is a colorful embroidered version, with the name of the shoe written on its side. Other models feature charm embellishments and tassels with a metal logo.
7. Rene Caovilla
“How do we make our shoes sexy without Swarovski crystals?” That was the question Edoardo Caovilla asked himself as he developed René Caovilla’s new Opanca pump for fall ’18. The black and white style features a 4-inch heel and suede upper paired with a rubber sole that plays up the lines and waves. Of course, the label still offered up plenty of blingy looks, including a pointy-toe leather bootie decked out with geometric jewels and the Crystal Net, a classic stiletto sandal that incorporates an elastic net adorned with Swarovski crystals.
8. Casadei
Casadei celebrates six decades in 2018, and the Italian luxury mainstay has several product stories to toast. For fall, Fantastical Western-inspired boots come decorated with a necklace of multicolored stones. “This is a new remake of one of our iconic styles,” Cesare Casadei explained. The creative director also has continued to evolve the iconic blade heel with the addition of the architectural X Blade and a kitten heel version.
9. Samuele Failli
For his third season, the emerging designer — who racked up years of experience at major houses in Milan and Paris — was inspired by 1970s haute couture. Elegant draped knots embellished a series of boots, while V-shaped ruffles dress up other key styles. Sandals are decorated with sculptural flames.
10. AGL
Comfort might be cool right now, but the Attilio Giusti Leombruni sisters have always designed their shoes to be wearable. For fall, the daywear-driven brand is introducing some standout patent boots. A new shiny leather block heel is also incorporated on many key styles, and cowboy boots come with removable leather straps.
11. Coliac by Martina Grasselli
Western touches, jewelry embellishments and edgy shapes spice up this emerging shoe collection, which is also quickly growing its ready-to-wear line. For fall, Martina Grasselli is rolling out more feminine shoe silhouettes, such pointed pumps with sculptural kitten heels in the shape of hexagons. Swarovski flowers serve as sparkling snap closures on derby shoes.
12. Geox
The comfort-driven label is upping its emphasis on contemporary styling. For fall, new styles include military-inspired boots. For evening, there are dressed-up slingbacks and brocade ankle booties. It’s a big year for the brand, which recently hired its new CEO, Matteo Mascazzini, from Gucci. “We have this amazing wealth in terms of the history, storytelling and DNA of the brand,” he said. “It reminds me of Gucci.”
13. Racine Carrée
Designer Viviana Vignola transformed the Ex Cinema Arts into a space inspired by Wunderkammer (rooms of curiosities that nobles created in 16th-century Europe. Vigola’s five “Wunderboxes” included one with graffiti-printed boots, another for black shoes only, a red room of cutout heels and boots, a black-and-white theme of boots and flats done in studs and accordion pleats — and one glittering room of crystals that displayed a pair of Swarovski-crystal-embellished cutout, lace-up heels.
14. Rodo
The brand, which is busy plotting its comeback in the U.S. market, played up woven styles across the both the shoe and bag collections. Velvets, Eco-fur and laser calf with brocade effects were key material stories. Neutral tones defined the color palette.
15. Church’s
The heritage player is getting some interesting new updates for fall. The label is focusing heavily on a new tartan series and also gave its classic styles a punk flavor with studs — all very British.
16. Le Silla
The over-the-knee stretch boot is crafted in on-trend latex, while crystals glam up stretch fabric styles. Over-the-knee and ankle sock boots are adorned with colorful sparkles — and an ironic written message, “Step by Step.” Sporty new “running” shoes feature multilayered rubber soles and wave inserts.
See more picks from Milan Fashion Week fall ’18.
