Straight From Milan Fashion Week: These Are the Italian Models to Watch
By Janelle Okwodu
From the days of Monica Vitti and Sophia Loren onward, Italian beauties have served as the basis for countless aspirational fashion moments. In the modeling industry, several of the greatest of all time—Carla Bruni, Benedetta Barzini, Monica Bellucci, Mariacarla Boscono—hail from Italy’s idyllic shores. And while Italian models aren’t quite as omnipresent as their Brazilian and Dutch counterparts, the latest lineup is notable not just for their beauty but also their style and killer charisma. From budding art historians to bona fide fashion nerds, get to know the local talent of Milan Fashion Week while they’re ruling the runways of Prada, Gucci, Moschino, and more.
Greta Varlese
Hometown: Milan
Last year, Varlese won Elite Model Look Italia and quickly went on to become one of Fall’s power players. Walking everything from Givenchy—where Riccardo Tisci noted her as a personal favorite—to Dior Haute Couture, Prada, Jil Sander, and Fendi, Varlese established herself as a versatile runway presence. A self-described “model nerd” before she took up the profession herself, Varlese grew up idolizing Boscono and Adriana Lima. Now she’s working alongside the superstars, joining Boscono for Givenchy’s latest campaign and Lima on the catwalk at Marc Jacobs.
