In Coco Fong and Valerio Bava, Malone Souliers has found not just the next generation of creative leadership, but a partnership defined by quiet excellence, emotional clarity, and technical devotion. If fashion’s future lies in storytelling through form, then this duo is not just stepping forward — they’re taking us somewhere worth going.

When Coco Fong and Valerio Bava walk into the Malone Souliers studio in London’s South Kensington each morning, the atmosphere shifts — not with disruption, but with the quiet, confident rhythm of two creatives deeply attuned to their shared vision. At 29 and 32 respectively, the newly appointed Co-Creative Directors are redefining what it means to take the reins of a luxury footwear house in 2025: with deep reverence for craftsmanship, a spirit of evolution over revolution, and the rare chemistry of a true design duo.

Since the appointment in June 2023, industry watchers have paid close attention. The decision by founder Mary Alice Malone — herself a famously discerning maker — to elevate Coco and Valerio into this joint creative helm wasn’t a headline-grabbing shake-up, but rather the culmination of nearly a decade of mentorship, mutual trust, and intimate collaboration. “It is a joy to work with Coco and Valerio,” Malone shared at the time. “They have long been my sounding boards, sharing in the same appreciation for beautifully crafted, exceptionally designed shoes.”

That shared appreciation is palpable when the pair speak — often finishing each other’s sentences — and even more so when one sees their work. The Autumn/Winter 2024 collection, the first fully conceived under their leadership, drew applause not only for its elegance but for the subtle shifts in silhouette, colour play, and detail — nods to their personal heritage and an ambitious, modern woman.

Their rise is the stuff of fashion lore, though neither seems particularly interested in mythology. Coco arrived at Malone Souliers in 2014 as an intern, barely out of her footwear studies at Cordwainers, having previously trained at Central Saint Martins. “I didn’t even realise how rare it was to find a house so obsessed with craft,” she says. “I just knew I loved making things with my hands.”

Valerio joined three years later, by way of Milan’s Istituto Europeo di Design and a stint at a design consultancy, where he worked across accessories and ready-to-wear. But it wasn’t until the two were promoted to Senior Designers in 2020 that the alchemy truly began.

“From the very beginning,” Valerio recalls, “we realised we saw things the same way. Details mattered. Construction mattered. A shoe couldn’t just be beautiful — it had to work, to function, to empower.”

For both designers, form and function are inseparable — an ethos perhaps more common in the ateliers of haute couture than in contemporary accessories. Yet in their world, an almond toe or a golden buckle is never decorative alone; it’s narrative, emotion, ergonomics, and elegance in one.

What’s most compelling about the new Malone Souliers is how much of the designers’ personal history now flows through the brand.

For Coco, growing up in Taipei surrounded by three generations of women who styled themselves with enviable flair left a deep imprint. “My mother wore Comme des Garçons next to vintage cheongsams,” she says. “It was instinctive East-meets-West style. There was no separation — only expression.”

This duality — traditional yet experimental, refined yet quietly subversive — is evident in her approach to materials and structure. “I always return to the idea of balance,” Coco says. “How can a shoe carry both softness and strength?”

Valerio, by contrast, was steeped in the tactile intensity of Italy’s manufacturing heartlands. “My grandfather was a shoemaker. My grandmother did embroidery. I spent hours in those workshops,” he says. “There’s a rhythm to the way Italian artisans touch leather or stitch a seam — I absorbed that rhythm as a child.”

These lived experiences don’t just influence the aesthetics — they shape every decision, from heel placement to fabric selection. And perhaps more importantly, they inform the way the designers see women. “We’re both obsessed with what a shoe does to the person wearing it,” Valerio says. “Not just how it looks on the shelf, but how it moves, how it feels, how it changes posture and mood.”

Malone Souliers was founded on a philosophy of female empowerment, long before that became a marketing trope. The company’s tagline — Beautiful Shoes That Celebrate the Form of All Women — speaks to a brand DNA built on inclusivity, both in sizing and spirit.

Coco, who speaks often about designing “for, with, and around women,” adds: “The female gaze in fashion still feels underrepresented. But it’s what guides everything we do. We are not designing fantasies for someone else to consume. We’re designing shoes that make women feel more themselves.”

This is particularly evident in the duo’s collaborative process. Unlike traditional creative director-led hierarchies, their workflow is a dialogue — not just between themselves but also with the artisans, pattern cutters, and product developers they work with closely in both London and Italy. “Everyone’s voice matters,” Coco says simply. “Shoes are a team sport.”

Valerio nods. “It’s like jazz — you have to listen as much as you lead.”

Their design process is rigorous, but never rushed. “We’re obsessed with fit,” Valerio admits. “It’s the difference between a shoe you wear once and a shoe you never want to take off.”

This level of obsession is rooted in technical expertise. Together, they have re-evaluated lasts, experimented with new linings, and invested in softer, more sustainable leathers. The result? A collection that feels at once more modern and more wearable — without ever sacrificing the house’s architectural elegance.

For Autumn/Winter 2024, the duo introduced subtle nods to 1990s tailoring, East Asian ceramic glazes, and baroque Italian ornamentation. Think: satin mules with curved flares, knife-point kitten heels in sage lacquer, and the brand’s signature Maureen silhouette reimagined with double straps and asymmetrical vamps.

“There’s always a story behind the form,” Coco says. “We want each shoe to have a soul.”

When asked about their ambitions, both designers are pragmatic, even a touch philosophical. “Growth is important,” Valerio says. “But not at the cost of intimacy.”

Malone Souliers is, after all, still relatively niche — though stocked in luxury retailers worldwide and worn by an impressive array of red-carpet regulars, it has retained the sensibility of a studio brand. And that suits Coco and Valerio just fine.

“We want to expand,” Coco says. “But we also want to slow down. To keep the joy of making. To ensure the person who wears our shoes feels they were designed just for her.”

As the fashion industry undergoes yet another reckoning — with speed, with sustainability, with relevance — the Malone Souliers duo offers a quietly radical approach: make beautiful things, with care, for real women.

In a world of noise, it’s a welcome return to the art of listening. To the foot, to the woman, to the craft.

Coco and Valerio’s Five Creative Touchstones

1. Mid-Century Sculpture:
“We love the forms of Barbara Hepworth and Isamu Noguchi — organic but precise.”

2. Family Archives:
“My mother’s closet in Taipei was a goldmine,” says Coco. “So many forgotten treasures.”

3. Neapolitan Craft:
“Embellishment, to me, is never excess — it’s intimacy,” says Valerio.

4. Dancer Posture:
“A well-designed shoe should change the way you stand. That’s always our test,” says Coco.

5. Dialogue Over Ego:
“There is no ‘I’ in what we do,” says Valerio. “Just the shoe — and the woman who wears it.”

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