As guests filed in for Valentino’s SS25 Paris Fashion Week show, a vibe shift was palpable. The dark room was like an old house that had been empty for years with dust covers draping rows and rows of higgledy-piggledy furniture; silhouettes of a harp, a ladder and a disused fountain recognisable beneath the soft glow from the freestanding lamps; and broken mirrors lining the floors.
It was as if Michele was inviting the industry back into the creative ‘house’ he packed up almost two years ago, when he stepped away from fashion after parting ways with his former employer Gucci. Today marked his big debut back on fashion’s main stage, now under the umbrella of Roman couture house Valentino, where he succeeded long-time creative director Pierpaolo Piccioli in March.
Until 2022, Alessandro Michele was synonymous with Gucci, an unknown name when he was first appointed to the helm in January 2015: under his watch, the Florentine house exploded, transforming almost overnight from a fading name into luxury’s most in-demand brand. With his signature magpie maximalist aesthetic and inclusive, values-driven vision of luxury, Michele grew Gucci sales from just under €4 billion in 2015 to almost €10 billion in 2021. Even if brand fatigue began to set in towards the end of his tenure, as turnarounds go, it was the biggest success story the industry had ever seen. With a legacy like that, the pressure was on, making today’s show the most hotly anticipated of the season.
His comeback, in a nutshell, was beautiful. As expected (he had teased his vision for Valentino dropping a suprise collection lookbook in June) the collection was Michele through and through, his signature firmly woven into every look — but it felt more grown up than his work at Gucci, which was heavily defined by its kooky charm. The Michele eccentricity was still there — the molto molto, more-is-more styling, the mishmash prints and extrovert embellishments, an off-beat clutch bag that looked like a retro cat figurine you’d find on granny’s mantelpiece — but the clothes had an added elegance and maturity to them, appropriate for a house like Valentino.
On the runway, there were plenty of Old Hollywood starlets, glittering in their sweeping gowns with feathered trims, fur stoles and gobstopper jewels. Michele trademarks like lace tights, ruffles, layers of pearls, were reimagined for the house of Valentino, staying true to Michele’s own distinct style while also paying homage to the brand’s legacy. Between the soundtrack strings and haunting vocals, the slow and measured procession of the models, the reflections of the vintage-esque clothes sparkling in the cracked mirror floors, there was an undertone of romantic melancholy, which only added to the glamour.
Completing the sense of drama and occasion: an array of Michele’s old muses, who were all out in full force, including Harry Styles, Florence Welch, Elton John, Karen Elson and Jared Leto, all sitting front row.
The celebrity presence was not only a starry reunion of Michele’s most famous supporters, but a statement of intent. Valentino really is a red-carpet brand, with a catalogue of memorable moments at the Oscars and Cannes and Venice Film Festivals, to name a few. No doubt we’ll see plenty of Michele’s gang wearing ‘New Valentino’ runway looks come awards season.
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