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.
Chiara Mazzoleni
Hometown: Bergamo
Mazzoleni’s impressive profile made her a standout this season at Prada, Calvin Klein Collection, Proenza Schouler, and Boss. Her imposing height—she’s almost 6 feet tall—and Roman nose set her apart from modeling’s array of icy blondes. An art history buff with a love of Italian masters like Pollaiolo, Mazzoleni can be found visiting museums in whichever city her work takes her, scoping out Monet at MoMA pre–Fashion Week or taking in Vatican City’s sculpture-and-fresco–filled cathedrals. Her impressive fashion-month start hasn’t gone unnoticed: Prada casting director Ashley Brokaw listed her as one of the 10 faces to watch this season.
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.
Vittoria Ceretti
Hometown: Brescia
With the ability to go from girlish to sophisticate in under a minute, Ceretti’s work with Italian mainstays Giorgio Armani and Dolce & Gabbana has put her on fashion’s radar. As the face of everything Dolce—from lipsticks to ready-to-wear—Ceretti holds her own posing with the brand’s roster of Italian legends like Bellucci and Bianca Balti. If she wasn’t in front of the camera, Ceretti says she might choose a career in acting or psychology instead, but for the meantime she’s busy enough.
Tommaso de Benedictis
Hometown: Rome
Who says beauty begins and ends with the ladies? De Benedictis makes a strong case for Italy’s male models. Growing up in Rome, London, and New York City gave him an abiding love of art. Between appearing in ads for Gucci and Valentino, he studied museology and art history at the Courtauld Institute of Art. Valuing the independence his career in modeling provides, De Benedictis uses his free time to travel the world, taking in galleries and art shows from Moscow to Vienna.
The post Straight From Milan Fashion Week: These Are the Italian Models to Watch appeared first on Vogue.