Kate vs. Rooney Mara in Venice: 4 Chic Ways 5’2″ and 5’3″ Sisters Style Red-Carpet Heels

Sisters Kate and Rooney Mara showed off their similar takes on sophisticated style at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival, where they attended the premiere and photocall for their new drama, Bucking Fastard. The film is competing for the festival’s coveted Golden Lion.

The sisters star as Jean and Joan Holbrooke, two sisters who are so closely synchronized that they speak and act in unison—but, importantly, they are not twins. They set out to find an imaginary land where true love is possible. Kate and Rooney also share a similar fashion sensibility, often opting for sleek silhouettes and simple styling.

Their proportions are remarkably close, too: Kate Mara stands 5’2″, while Rooney is only an inch taller, making their different approaches to adding height with heels especially interesting.

Rooney Mara and Kate Mara showcase their similar style in black-and-white looks at the premiere and photocall for Bucking Fastard at the 83rd Venice International Film Festival on September 3, 2026 (Credit: Anna Maria Tinghino / Dave Bedrosian / Future Image / Cover Images)

For the premiere at the Palazzo del Cinema, Kate Mara shimmered in an Armani Privé gown paired with black peep-toe heels. Rooney, meanwhile, took a more understated yet equally elegant approach in a Louis Vuitton dress styled with Aquazzura heels.

At the photocall, Kate switched things up in a black-and-white Alexander McQueen mini dress, finishing the look with white Giuseppe Zanotti’s “Intriigo” heels. Her younger sister Rooney also chose the “Intriigo” silhouette, but opted for the mule version, pairing the sleek white shoes with a white Stella McCartney high-low dress.

From their glamorous premiere gowns to their more playful photocall looks, the Mara sisters brought plenty of chic shoe moments to Venice. Let’s take a closer look at what they wore.

Pearls and Platforms: Kate Mara Pairs Armani Privé With Black Peep-Toe Heels

Kate Mara delivered a glamorous, statuesque look, and her heels definitely helped elongate her frame. I loved how the dramatic gown did most of the talking while the shoes quietly added height underneath.

She wore simple black pumps, mostly hidden beneath the floor-length skirt, but they still helped create a long, streamlined silhouette. The shoes appeared to be crafted from black suede, with peep toes, platforms, and towering heels—a familiar strategy for the petite actress, who has repeatedly used substantial platform heels to add height while keeping the focus on her clothes.

Kate Mara adds height in black peep-toe platform pumps with tapered stiletto heels beneath her shimmering Armani Privé gown (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)

Kate paired the pumps with an Armani Privé Fall/Winter 2024 Haute Couture gown featuring a structured bodice made up of two geometric, square-shaped panels covered in intricate pearlescent-white micro embellishments. The panels covered her bust, while the deep plunging cutout added a sultry touch.

An oversized pearl sat at the bottom of the neckline, standing out against the shimmering embellishments and adding an eye-catching detail to the delicate bodice. Thin black straps held the bodice in place over her shoulders and around her back, adding to the gown’s sexy feel.

Below the bodice, the dress flowed into a sleek black column skirt covered in thousands of shimmering sequins. The slim silhouette hugged her figure before pooling slightly at the floor, creating a liquid-like effect as she moved.

Mara added more sparkle with a Cartier Écharpe necklace, Cartier Juste Un Clou ear jewel, and several rings. Her hair was styled in a neat center-parted bun, while defined eyes and soft makeup completed her look.

Kate Mara shines in her Armani Privé gown featuring a structured bodice with pearlescent, square-shaped panels, a large pearl accent, and a fluid, sequin-embellished black skirt (Credit: Dave Bedrosian / Future Image / Cover Images)

Sculptural Minimalism: Rooney Mara Pairs Louis Vuitton With Aquazzura Purist Pumps

Rooney Mara stayed true to her signature gothic minimalism while adding a glamorous, sculptural twist in a custom Louis Vuitton gown and classic black Aquazzura pumps.

She chose Aquazzura’s “Purist” pumps, a natural fit for the pared-back footwear Rooney has favored throughout her career. At 5’3″, Rooney Mara frequently uses sleek high heels to add height without disrupting the clean lines of her clothes.

Crafted in Italy from black satin, the Purist pumps had a subtle sheen and an understated silhouette that worked especially well with the dramatic gown.

Rooney Mara keeps her Venice premiere footwear sharply minimalist in black satin Aquazzura Purist pumps with pointed toes and slender stiletto heels (Credit: Dave Bedrosian / Future Image / Cover Images)

Their pointed toes created a sharp, elongated effect, while the slender 4-inch stiletto heels added height and kept the silhouette elegant. Leather soles finished the pumps, complete with Aquazzura’s signature gold-dipped Pineapple logo.

Mytheresa currently carries a selection of Aquazzura Purist styles, ranging from classic pointed-toe pumps in different heel heights to satin versions, slingback flats, and woven designs.

Editorial comparison of Aquazzura Purist shoes highlighting the collection’s pointed-toe silhouettes, from white and brown pumps to tan, orange, and green slingback flats, showing how the Purist design varies across heel heights, colors, and finishes

Mara paired the timeless pumps with a custom black Louis Vuitton gown, continuing her long-running relationship with the French fashion house. She has used similarly restrained footwear to balance Louis Vuitton before, including five-inch Brian Atwood Aida sandals with a Louis Vuitton dress at the 2016 Toronto International Film Festival. I loved the stark contrast here between the minimalist slip-style bodice and the dramatic lower half.

The top skimmed her figure in a slim column silhouette, with delicate spaghetti straps and a simple V-neckline, before transforming into a voluminous bubble hem covered in layers of intricate ruffle ruching. The gathered fabric created a sculptural, cloud-like shape around her legs, making the otherwise understated gown much more dramatic.

Mara styled the look with a delicate lariat necklace that added a subtle edge, along with stud earrings and a ring. She matched her sister Kate Mara’s sleek high bun and finished with soft smoky eyeshadow and a nude lip.

Rooney Mara embraces sculptural minimalism in a custom black Louis Vuitton gown, pairing its sleek slip-style bodice and dramatic ruffled bubble hem with pointed Aquazzura Purist pumps (Credit: IPA / INSTARimages)

Gothic Romance: Kate Mara Pairs Alexander McQueen With Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo Sandals

At the photocall for Bucking Fastard, Kate Mara embraced an ethereal gothic-romance look with a modern edge, pairing an Alexander McQueen mini dress with crisp white Giuseppe Zanotti heels.

She opted for Giuseppe Zanotti’s popular “Intriigo” sandals, made in Italy from white calf leather with a glossy patent finish. The style is already becoming something of a signature shoe for Mara: earlier in 2026, Kate wore the same Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo sandals in nude patent leather during the Imperfect Women press tour. Here, the white version featured the same sharp open pointed toe, slim toe strap, and ankle strap, giving the shoes a clean, architectural look.

Kate Mara showcases her black pedicure in white patent Giuseppe Zanotti “Intriigo” sandals featuring pointed open toes, slim ankle straps, and stiletto heels (Credit: Alberto Terenghi / IPA / INSTARimages)

I especially liked how the clean lines gave the delicate white shoes a sleek, architectural feel. The 4-inch stiletto heels added height and helped lengthen Mara’s legs.

Giuseppe Zanotti currently offers a wide range of Intriigo styles on its official website, including strappy sandals, open-toe heels, mules, and embellished variations in different heel heights.

Editorial comparison of Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo heels showing six distinct silhouettes, from minimalist ankle-strap sandals and sleek mules to more intricate woven and knotted designs, highlighting the collection’s variety of colors, straps, and shapes

Mara paired the sandals with a black-and-white mini dress from the Alexander McQueen Fall 2026 collection. Made from white knit lace, the dress featured several intricate patterns throughout, giving the delicate fabric plenty of texture and detail. Black, semi-sheer lace layered over the body created a striking contrast against the white base. I loved how detailed the lacework was, especially the mix of floral motifs and openwork patterns, which gave the dress a romantic feel with a subtle gothic edge.

The silhouette also looked perfect on Mara, with a high mock neck, long sleeves, fitted bodice, and sculpted short hemline that dipped slightly longer at the back.

She kept the accessories simple with ear cuffs and a few rings, while her hair was pulled into a sleek, tight center-parted bun that kept the focus on the dress.

Kate Mara contrasts delicate white lace with sheer black detailing in an Alexander McQueen mini dress, finishing the Venice photocall look with white Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo sandals (Credit: Alberto Terenghi / IPA / INSTARimages)

Head-to-Toe White: Rooney Mara Pairs Stella McCartney With Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo Mules

Rooney Mara also chose white Giuseppe Zanotti “Intriigo” heels, opting for the mule version with the same signature pointed open-toe design. The sharp toe gave the shoes a sleek, modern shape, while the clean lines kept them looking polished and architectural. I loved how the simple design worked with her flowing white outfit!

The open back gave the mules a relaxed, slip-on shape, while the slim front strap kept them looking delicate. They were finished with 4-inch stiletto heels, adding height and creating a long, elegant line beneath the high-low skirt.

Rooney Mara steps out in white Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo mules, pairing the sharply pointed open-toe silhouette and slim stiletto heels with her all-white Stella McCartney look (Credit: Alberto Terenghi / IPA / INSTARimages)

Rooney paired the mules with a summery white two-piece Stella McCartney Spring/Summer 2026 outfit. The fluid halter top had a loose, breezy shape, with delicate string ties gathered at the neck and an uneven hem that added a little movement to the relaxed silhouette.

Below, she wore a matching high-low skirt with a dramatic asymmetrical hem. The front was cut shorter to show off her legs, while the sides and back extended into a voluminous, structured train that swept behind her as she moved. I loved how the simple white color kept the dramatic silhouette from looking too overwhelming.

She kept the rest of the styling minimalist, pulling her hair back into a sleek ponytail that let the clean neckline and sculptural shape of the outfit take center stage.

Rooney Mara embraces head-to-toe white in a breezy Stella McCartney halter top and dramatic high-low skirt, finished with sleek Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo mules at the Venice Film Festival photocall (Credit: Alberto Terenghi / IPA / INSTARimages)

Kate and Rooney Mara offered two takes on sleek stiletto dressing, but they were only part of Venice’s unusually varied footwear story. Elsewhere at the 2026 Venice Film Festival, Claire Foy, Maggie Gyllenhaal, Laura Dern, and Amal Clooney stepped out in everything from towering Christian Louboutin platforms and sharp Prada slingbacks to Tom Ford pumps and unexpected Celine flats.

Aquazzura Purist vs. Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo: Two Red-Carpet Heels, Two Very Different Jobs

Celebrities return to the Aquazzura Purist and Giuseppe Zanotti Intriigo for opposite reasons. The Purist works as a quiet foundation, using a pointed toe and slender heel to elongate the leg without competing with an elaborate gown or statement look.

The Intriigo takes a more directional approach, combining barely-there straps with a sharply pointed open toe and sculptural stiletto silhouette that can become part of the fashion statement itself.