As Bruno Magli marks 90 years and plots expansion, the storied brand is teaming up with designer Cynthia Rowley on a multi-season collaboration.
Owned by Marquee Brands, Bruno Magli aims to reemphasize its heritage in the high-end women’s market — and partnering with Rowley is a centerpiece of the plan.
Launching for holiday 2026, the collaboration debuts with a capsule collection featuring the reimagined Prima pump, with details such as lace. The partnership expands in spring 2027 with a broader assortment of footwear, accessories and small leather goods.
“Cynthia brings a beautiful aesthetic. She’s a classic New York-based designer. It was the right timing for us and for her,” said Natasha Fishman, chief marketing officer of Marquee Brands, Bruno Magli’s parent company. “We look at collaborations and partnerships as ways to expand distribution, build relevance and drive heat to get into new categories and territories.”
Rowley, who received the 2025 Eleanor Lambert Founders Award from the Council of Fashion Designers of America (CFDA), said she was drawn to the brand because of its rich history.
“The Bruno Magli legacy is filled with romance, glamour, movie stars and exquisite craftsmanship. We are so thrilled to be able to reimagine and create something special with such a classic Italian luxury brand,” said. “We are excited to infuse our playful sportiness and unexpected details with such a classic Italian heritage brand. This match is a winning combination.”
The holiday capsule will launch in Cynthia Rowley stores, and on the designer’s e-commerce site as well as on Bruno Magli’s e-commerce site. “We know there’s an audience out there, and we’re excited to bring this to [Cynthia’s] audience specifically,” Fishman said.
Fishman noted that the collaboration comes at a time when the brand is expanding both in the United States and abroad. In Dubai, Marquee is working with partner Apparel Group to assess growth opportunities there. The Italian market is also a focus as the brand doubles down on the female consumer. (Currently, men’s makes up 60 percent of the total business, while women’s makes up 40 percent.)
“We are very intentional about retaining the ethos, distribution and development of an Italian luxury brand,” Fishman said, noting that expansion into other fashion categories is also part of the long-term plan.
Bruno Magli was founded in 1936 when Bologna-based siblings Bruno, Marino and Maria Magli started their industrial venture in the footwear industry.
Once past the dark period of World War II, in the Fifties and Sixties the Maglis managed to achieve this goal and they started building an international reputation for the Bruno Magli brand. To fit the needs of that era’s women, who wanted a more modern and feminine image, the brand developed some styles that revolutionized footwear: the pump, the stiletto and the pointed-toe shoe.
More recently, under Marquee, which acquired the brand in 2015, Bruno Magli partnered with bridal designer Ines Di Santo.
“Bruno Magli continues to demonstrate the power of heritage when it is paired with the right creative partner,” said Fishman. “It’s about honoring where the brand comes from while putting it firmly into today’s style conversation.”
