Alessandro Michele’s debut as Valentino’s creative director injected the fun and fearlessness fashion month has been waiting for. Having previously been at the helm of Gucci , Michele joined Valentino in March and his spring/summer 2025 collection was highly anticipated. His collection marks a daring and imaginative new chapter for the storied fashion house.
With his bold mix of maximalism, retro glamour and theatrical styling, Michele has brought Valentino’s legacy into the spotlight once again. Entitled Pavillon Des Folie, the show explored a fusion of two revolutionary fashion eras – the 1920s and the 1960s – resulting in a captivating, layered collection that felt both nostalgic and strikingly modern. Set in an intimate hall dimly lit by warm lamps covered in sheer fabrics, the runway unfolded against a backdrop of harps, busts and antique furniture, evoking a mood of mystery and old-age opulence.
The set’s draped fabrics evoked a concealed intrigue. The models, adorned in sheer fabrics themselves, offered glimpses of their bodies, giving the collection an ethereal, almost haunting beauty. It wasn’t about merely abandoning and concealing Valentino’s past: it was about reinvention, with a heavy dose of theatricality.
The models walked on a cracked mirrored runway, symbolising the disruption of old conventions and the breaking into a new era under Michele’s visionary leadership. Michele’s opening looks featured drop waist dresses, coloured tights, lace, .