Stardust! Movie glamour on a thin line between masculine and feminine. Visions of timelessly contemporary elegance. Santoni FW 16/17 collection takes the unique knowhow of the Maison and taste for authentic and precious craftsmanship to heights of unrestrained virtuosity. Inspired by the unforgettable figure of Marlene Dietrich, a diva able to charm men as well as women, this collection outlines the image of an assertive femme who uses fashion as a way of telling her story, beyond time and trends.

The tension between masculine and feminine elements, distinctive feature of Santoni’s identity, is intensified, polarized, and made absolute in a research of seductive refinement. New balances spring from the reinterpretation of style details that, out of proportion and context, create a new unexpected aesthetic. Men’s lace-ups’ laces or brogue’s perforated piping are magnified, caging the foot in high heel sandals. The lace-up’s tongue is enlarged transforming into a slipper. Geometric indentations feature shoes of rigorous taste. Jais embroideries run through the fringes. Opulent pumps are filled with maxi-sequins imitating crocodile’s scales. The quest of the absolute knows no half ways. High stiletto heels alternate with flat styles. Shapes are round or open-toe. The rigor of design seals several elements in an expression of quivering balance, completed by a faded palette of blacks, black & whites and antiques burgundies. From Santoni’s patina calfskin to crocodile leathers, the material selection is unmistakable.

Following the journey started last season, Santoni continues its collaboration with Art Director and photographer Olivier Zahm, who portrays singer and socialite Caroline Vreeland as a modern Marlene Dietrich. Playing with the timelessness of black & white and the suggestion of poses that evoke modern memories of stardust and a striking resemblance, Zahm create a subtle short-circuit among Caroline, Marlene and Diane Vreeland, Caroline’s grandmother and iconic symbol of extreme and rigorous elegance. The message: fashion intended as an instrument of unlimited imagination and self-representation.

GIUSEPPE SANTONI: “I really love Olivier Zahm’s esthetics, cooperating with him is always so inspiring. He was able to catch the soul of our collection, inspired by Marlene Dietrich’s iconic and timeless beauty, with his sophisticated, sensual and original visual language. The superlative portraits of Caroline Vreeland, as well as Santoni collection, are a perfect mix of fashion, sensuality and art.”

OLIVIER ZAHM: “I was so happy to work with Caroline Vreeland, as a modern Marlene Dietrich for this new Santoni F/W 2016 collection. She incarnates the timeless glamour of Marlene in a modern way – fresh, audacious, and with a mysterious regard. This attitude fits well with a shoe collection that plays with the codes of night vs day, glamour vs sexy, and men’s dressing vs women’s.”