5 emerging shoe designers revolutionising the fashion world

Milan is the fashion capital, home to storied houses like Prada, Versace, Gucci and Armani. But the elegant streets of the Lombard capital also set the stage for emerging brands revolutionising the fashion world; runways for boutique luxury entrepreneurs who have turned fashion into their life’s work. At this crossroads of culture, innovation and trends, designers are keeping alive the centuries-old tradition of artisanal techniques and Italian footwear and accessories production to create haute couture collections deeply rooted in their heritage.

Here, for lovers of craftsmanship, refined elegance and well-made pieces, are five revolutionary shoe designers to discover. Let yourself be captivated by the beauty and creativity of their creations, and get ready to reveal the most alluring side of your personality. Read on to discover them.

Daniele Giovani Design

Daniele Giovani Design embodies a passion for beauty, the art of craft and the culture of Italian manufacturing. Having always harboured a strong interest in fashion, the designer studied at Politecnico di Milano to master the craft and innovate in accessories design. He launched his collection during the 2022 Montecarlo Fashion Week with a runway show of his fine footwear at the Opera di Montecarlo. With the autumn/winter 23/24 collection, Claire de Nuit, Giovani’s visionary spirit captured the seductive allure of the night and the glint of darkness in one-of-a-kind accessories. Through meticulous attention to detail and a refined pairing of colours and fine materials, he channels pure sensuality. His multi-brand boutique at corso Genova 13, dedicated to top artisanal Italian labels, is a veritable temple of luxury where you can also find his Daniele Giovani Design footwear collection. It is the ideal stop for women who want to embrace their allure with understated elegance.

Luca Lubello

Florence, a city of art, beauty and architecture, proved the ideal setting to realise a vision. Following significant stints in the creative departments of Salvatore Ferragamo and Max Verre, Luca Lubello decided to settle permanently in the Tuscan capital and launch his own venture: his eponymous brand, complete with a showroom in via Friuli 26 (MI). What drives this creative shoe designer is a constant desire to experiment with new materials, sourcing premium fabrics and leathers from Italy’s finest suppliers and crafting every piece with traditional methods, 100% by hand. The inspiration stems from Helmut Newton: woven into the Lubello women’s collection is the photographer’s evocative aesthetic, wrapped in luxury and seduction.

Claire di Martina Ferraro

Claire, by Martina Ferraro, is a women’s shoe brand where glamour and elegance meet seamlessly. Drawing on her Pugliese roots, the young entrepreneur treats Made in Italy as an overarching philosophy: ‘because’, the designer explains, ‘it is synonymous with quality and expertise’. In the autumn/winter 23/24 collection, the focus is squarely on materials: vegetable-tanned leathers, shearling combat boots and pony hair shoes. In this refined boutique, creativity is the only constant: polished experimentation blends with the desire to craft shoes for dynamic women who never stop and who share a love for thoughtful fashion.

Alberto Ciaschini

There is no denying that the heel is the true focal point of women’s footwear. Alberto Ciaschini knows this well: for him, a shoe is far more than an ordinary luxury item; it is an object of desire, transgression and empowerment for the women who inspire him. Trained at Marangoni, with stints at Loewe, Hugo Boss and Giorgio Armani behind him, the designer launched the footwear line Smoking Hot. Entirely made in Italy, Ciaschini plays with two distinctive silhouettes, balancing an irresistible vice with a woman’s seductive, refined aura. Here you will find irony and self-confidence, audacity and poise, tenderness and edge—all within a design studio that champions meticulous craftsmanship and the free expression of femininity.

Alena Ettea

Alena Ettea is a young shoe designer whose independent, curious and sensitive nature serves as her guiding light. Her life experiences, from travelling to working with various Italian apparel manufacturers, have broadened her perspective and fuelled her curiosity for the rich and unexplored. Channelling her passion for fashion, she launched Alena Ettea, a luxury footwear brand for women who refuse to settle. The label speaks to women who, like Alena, are not afraid to be whatever they wish to be—women who appreciate beauty in every form. For them, the designer crafts striking, entirely made in Italy shoes: the ideal piece to give voice even to one’s deepest desires. After all, what is fashion if not a medium to express a bold, sophisticated personality?