British Vogue and Luisa Via Roma Join Up for a Blockbuster Fashion Show in Florence—See All the Looks

Florence’s Pitti Uomo may be a seasonal fashion moment associated with the sprezzatura of menswear, but last night in the Tuscan city, over 50 international brands came together for one blockbuster open-air catwalk show, to celebrate the iconography of women’s fashion.

As sun set over the Duomo (and thunder clouds finally parted) over 1,500 guests, including an impressive roster of A-listers including Leonardo DiCaprio, Tina Kunakey, Liam Payne, Charithra Chandran, Julia Fox, and Tobey Maguire, gathered at the historic Piazzale Michelangelo to watch Runway Icons, a 100-plus look catwalk show. The culmination of a collaboration between British Vogue and the Florentine retailer Luisa Via Roma, (which has been part of the city s luxury landscape since 1930), the style spectacular was a chance to “unite the histories” of two institutions. “I’ve been working my whole life in fashion, there was no one better to collaborate with,” said Luisa Via Roma’s CEO Andrea Panconesi over coffee at the boutique.

The show boasted an audience-whooping, individuality-celebrating model lineup, with nearly 100 names taking their turn, at times arm in arm, on the catwalk. Think recent British Vogue cover stars Paloma Elsesser, Precious Lee, and Jill Kortleve; supers including Eva Herzigova, Natalia Vodianova, and Irina Shayk; the drag queens Gottmik, Violet Chachki, and Symone; and cult catwalk names including Penelope Tree, Debra Shaw, Erin O Connor and Mariacarla Boscono. Alton Mason wore one of the show’s sprinkling of menswear looks, joining Karen Elson on the runway.

Adding to the atmosphere, surprise performer Andrea Bocelli serenaded guests with four songs as the show began. While the audience sang along to “Time To Say Goodbye,” Emily In Paris’s Lucien Laviscount pulled a fellow guest from her seat, inviting her for a spontaneous slow dance on the catwalk. Post-Bocelli, Hale Zero amped up the proceedings with a one-off soundtrack.

The catwalkers sported looks by both household names and trailblazing talents, transcending style decades, from ’80s punk to Y2K glamour, and celebrating everything from the haute-couture bride to Britpop-era sportswear. Major brand cameos came from the likes of Alexander McQueen, Bottega Veneta, Maison Margiela, Moncler, Ralph Lauren, Stella McCartney, Vivienne Westwood, and Versace, while burgeoning labels included the 2023 winner of the BFC/Vogue Designer Fashion Fund 16 Arlington, Nensi Dojaka, and Christopher John Rogers. "It’s so exciting to be able to bring together leading and emerging names on one catwalk, especially in a city so long associated with craftsmanship and creativity," said British Vogue editor-in-chief and European editorial director Edward Enninful, during fittings of the show that he curated. “That’s always been my mission on the pages of the magazine.”

Mixing custom pieces, reissued archive designs, and current collection looks, Runway Icons showcased the past, present, and future of fashion. Natasha Poly wore an archive feather-festooned tiger-stripe sequin Roberto Cavalli gown, Nyawurh Chuol a Valentino fall 2023 plumed opera coat in Pierpaolo Picciolo’s signature hot pink, and Munroe Bergdorf sizzled in a custom Mugler gown with sexy idiosyncratic cut-outs. “It was such an incredible moment to have someone so iconic within the queer community wearing our Solaria dress,” said 16Arlington’s Marco Capaldo, who traveled out to the show, and dressed Violet Chachki. “The show was a real moment for the books.”

A number of pieces from the show by brands including Nensi Dojaka, Dolce Gabbana, Victoria Beckham, Ray Ban, and Amina Muaddi will be sold exclusively through Luisa Via Roma.