Milan Fashion Week FW21: Valextra, Giuseppe Zanotti, and Santoni

Valextra’s collection “Chiaroscuro” revisited the house’s own classics through a lens of black and neutrals that highlighted their choice materials. Presented through a short video and photographic series, there were chic, architectural silhouettes like the trapezoidal Iside bag updated with a phone-sized back pocket and color iterations like camel, vanilla, and military green. Other styles we loved included the new soft Bucket bag and a fresh take on the genderless Tric Trac, imagined in two-toned black and white leather.

Giuseppe Zanotti brought an upbeat boldness to its Fall/Winter 2021 footwear for men and women. For menswear, styles were fit for daily wear updated through color, materialization, and details—like a pair of Chelsea boots in shining gold and a set of slide sandals in tan fur. For women, looks that gave us a sense of fearless confidence included a pair of hot pink leather loafers, thigh-high glossy boots with chunky, futuristic soles, and strappy sandal in electric blue with a statement platform. The house also debuted two unisex sneaker styles, including a pair in an iridescent oil slick material and a black style suede with thick white soles and gold detailing.

Santoni applied quintessential Italian elegance to styles made for the present-day in its latest collections for women and men. Warm leather hues were found in eye-catching shapes, like a thick-soled penny loafer in deep brown and a lace-up shoe in iridescent olive-green leather, perfect for dressing up daily wear or adding to a simple evening suit. For women, the house introduced a suite of heels—like a slingback with a wave detail across the foot, or an ankle boot in buttery pleated leather—and styles that recalled men’s footwear, including an ankle boot in Urbino brown featuring stitched wingtip detailing and a wool sock top, or a double-buckled loafer with a rock sole.