Valentino undergoes a vibe shift

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Should designers have a singular aesthetic vision? That appeared to be the primary subject of debate following the fairytale gowns, brocade jackets, faux fur-trimmed skirts and lace stockings that featured in Alessandro Michele’s highly anticipated debut show for Valentino at Paris Fashion Week.

For some, it hit too many of the notes that had already been played out during Michele’s seven-year tenure as the creative director at Gucci, where his gender-fluid, bohemian vision doubled sales at the brand to more than €10bn annually in four years — but lost momentum as the approach became predictable and customers sought more classic, seasonless purchases.

But for Michele, having a strong design identity is a virtue. And it can also be timeless, he believes. “You have to be sincere in your work,” the designer explained to editors, gathered around dust sheet-covered furnishings and wearing headphones, so that his spoken Italian could be translated into English. “It’s like being invited to a party; if someone asks you, you come as you are. This is what I am doing; I am coming the way that I am.”

A catwalk model wears a black dress with a white patch on the chest, and red stockings — Alessandro Michele’s debut at Valentino included nods to the house signature red . . .

A catwalk model wears a white blouse with polka dots and grey trousers — . . . and polka dots, which were scattered across blouses, skirts and suits

That perspective comes as no surprise following the Valentino resort lookbook that dropped over the summer, offering a look at Michele’s first designs (that’s 171 looks, in under three months) for the Italian luxury house, which riffed on the maximalist whimsy that the designer has become known for. (As of today, those designs are available to shop at its flagship boutiques in Paris).

At the show, more of that followed in the form of tiered skirts and dresses, accessorised with wide feathered hats, silk headwraps and face jewellery that hung from the nose or extended from one end of the lip to another. Models walked across a floor resembling cracked glass to the reproduced soundtrack of “Passacaglia della vita”, which had messages of it own: “joy has to flow”, “we must rejoice”, “joy we must chase.”

A catwalk model wears a feathered hat, a brown patterned jacket and silk patterned skirt — Other looks showcased Michele’s maximalist whimsy, with clashing prints and feathered hats . . .

A catwalk model wears a richly embroidered fll-length dress with faux fur trim — . . . and richly embroidered dresses in jewel tones with faux fur trims

Michele’s designs are often a bit madcap, but here, the designer’s typical extravagance felt more tame; the assortment was edited, the clothes graceful. They also felt in line with the buoyant energy of Valentino Garavani, the house’s founder, which Michele took inspiration from — not only in terms of his work, but also the way he lived: unapologetic and unafraid.

“We hold [Garavani] as classical but he was revolutionary,” Michele said. “He was a gay man in fashion, and one of the first who really displayed his life with great elegance.” Michele continued: “He lived his life fully and I think he deeply loved all the things he created. We are going through a difficult moment and maybe many people are afraid. As far as I am here, I want to live.”

A male catwalk model wears a navy blazer over a blue shirt and red tie, and tan chinos — Menswear options mixed classic tailoring with unusual details such as lace gloves, fringed ties . . .

A male catwalk model wears a yellow ruff around his neck, a cropped waist coat and dark grey trousers — . . . neck ruffs and cropped waist coats, worn with branded ballet flats

The show invitation — sheet music with a retro, Art Deco-looking cover — set the tone for the collection where various decades, including the 1960s, ’70s and ’80s, collided. Jewelled tones like gold and emerald featured prominently, as did polka dots across blouses, skirts and suits, despite it being a pattern that Michele admits he “never loved” but has grown to appreciate, especially when they can be used in an “unruly” way.

There were plenty of bags, many bearing Valentino’s “V” logo, as well as new shoes including heels with bow detailing and cute branded ballet flats, which Michele himself wore in brown, styled with white socks. The desirability of these accessories form the backbone of Valentino’s business, which reached €1.35bn in sales in 2023. That makes it a sliver of the size of Gucci, although parent company Kering, which owns a 30 per cent stake and has the option to take full control by 2028, will surely seek to scale the Rome-born label.

A catwalk model wears a full-length cream silk/lace dress — Romantic options for eveningwear included Michele’s eclectic mix of prints, ruffles and bows . . .

A catwalk model wears a black ruffled evening dress and a large circular hat — . . . as well as more classical, Valentino-inspired options in black

Despite some similarities to Michele’s own past work, it would be too simplistic to say that the latest Valentino collection was simply a rendition of that. It’s not as if Michele is the first designer to establish a clear design signature either: just look at Hedi Slimane, who brought his brooding models, and love for music and photography, from Dior Homme to Saint Laurent and now to Celine.

But, Michele’s esoteric offering does swerve away from the Valentino under his predecessor, Pierpaolo Piccioli, who steered the brand in a more glamorous direction. And while a break from the past is no bad thing, long-term success will depend on the wider support of Michele’s vision and communicating that in a coherent and consistent way to customers, who are sure to feel the change.

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