Show: Valentino fall/winter 2025
Designer: Alessandro Michele
Location: 1, rue des fossés saint-bernard
The vibe: There is no one who puts on a show quite like Alessandro Michele. Today, I attended my first show by him, and needless to say, it was an experience—an almost visceral feeling. As he presented his second collection for Valentino, the designer disrupted what had been a more production-gentle fashion week with a full-on display of anarchy at 1, Rue des Fossés Saint-Bernard. Guests entered a winding bathroom set, drenched in Valentino Red. “I imagined a public toilet: a counter-place that neutralises and suspends the dualism between inside and outside, between what is intimate and what is exposed, between the personal and the collective, between what remains private and what is meant to be shared,” he explains.
The vision: In this space, Michele walked the line between our notions of intimacy while reinterpreting the house’s codes for the present day, with a booming co-ed show accompanied by the sounds of Julia Kent, Lana Del Rey and Ola Quetal. Bodysuits—which have appeared in countless iterations on the runway in the past week—were presented in a quintessential Michele way: sheer and clinging to the body, accented with plumed, frilled satin skirts. My personal observation was the reinvention of the concept of personal and private in a capitalist sense. Models in formal shirts, trousers, and ties were styled with fur stoles, commenting on society’s imposed notions of shame. Meanwhile, crystal gowns were emblazoned with prints of cats. On the accessories front, clutch bags and what appeared to be oversized moon boots further accentuated the looks.
What to shop for: The beauty of Michele’s creations is that they follow him wherever he goes, and vice versa. The actual covetability of the collection is unquestionable, and there are many elements that speak to glamour, kitsch, and cuteness. Our guess is that anything emblazoned with the Valentino-approved cat—Thai superstar Freen had a kitty charm hanging off her Valentino bag—is going to fly off the shelves. As for what we’re hoping to add to our cart once the collection hits stores? The croc-embossed bag on chains and rose petal heels are what we have our eyes on. The unpredictable is predictable with Michele, and what might take off from the collection is yet to be seen—but the craze in which it will is guaranteed.
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Valentino FW25, Look 1
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Valentino FW25, Look 5
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Valentino FW25, Look 22
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Valentino FW25, Look 23
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Valentino FW25, Look 35
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Valentino FW25, Look 36
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Valentino FW25, Look 40
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Valentino FW25, Look 53
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