Maria Grazia Chiuri presented her debut Fendi collection with the Italian brand’s fall 2026 show which paraded during Milan Fashion Week on Wednesday — and her vision included creative takes on footwear.
The new chief creative officer presented a coed wardrobe, with men and women walking the runway; the motto for the collection is “Less I, more us.” This marks her return to the brand she first joined at age 24, in 1989, commencing a 10-year run which left a strong imprint on accessories.
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Some of Chiuri’s fall 2026 shoes were wardrobe classics, like a pair of black penny loafers, while others skewed unconventional with the use of embellishment or a striking shape. For example, a pointed-toe T-strap slingback pump featured feathers in back, and in the opposite design, feathers made a statement down the front of a different slingback on the runway.
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Across several silhouettes, layering with socks was put to use — semi-sheer black calf-high socks with animal print heels and more, while yellow socks peeked out above loafers. Animal print was a prominent theme in the collection, seen in different patterns not only on heels, boots and sneakers, but also on bags and garments like a vest and coat. These pieces provided variation in a lineup of largely black clothing.
Miles Socha wrote in a review for WWD, “Much of the collection was black, which you could read as sober and soigné, or safe and salable. Chiuri also dipped into denim, military and bohemian themes, sending a message that her Fendi is not necessarily about what ‘she’ imposes, but what ‘they’ might want.”
One of the platform silhouettes presented featured a thick, curved clear block heel lending the style a futuristic and sculptural identity.
Boots also had a major moment on the runway, announcing themselves with strong toes and functional low block heels, be it a black moto or an animal print boot. The collection also included a slouchy stiletto boot with a unique numbered strap down the side.
Additional shoe styles included edgy studded criss-cross sandals and vibrant sneaker moments, including an animal print and sunny yellow option.
Part of the official description for Chiuri’s collection explains, “The collection is the map of a personal geography, in which clothes are encounters, moments, interests, exchanges. They bear witness to a life lived — a nomadism — in and through fashion. Many contributors have taken part to the shaping of this vision: from women artists like Mirella Bentivoglio and SAGG Napoli, in a comparison between different generations, to the wardrobe itself, reconsidered as a space of relationship and cultural sedimentation.”