Alessandro Michele held his sophomore ready-to-wear show for Maison Valentino yesterday in Paris. Before the first model even hit the runway, the brand’s rich heritage was immediately felt. Still, it was abundantly clear that Michele would continue to make Valentino his own.
This was no ordinary set; attendees entered through bathroom doors into a bright red, or rosso in Italian, public restroom. The show’s space foreshadowed the theme of the collection overall: intimacy and its many forms.
The theme is a bit jarring at first—the idea of a public toilet for inspiration—but Michele described it in the show notes as an in-between space of sorts—inherently private but shared just the same. It is personal, but commune, and that juxtaposition is explored within the collection, beginning with the show’s co-ed nature.
Innerwear Meets Outerwear
The ready-to-wear is intricate and detailed, just what we’d expect from Michele. He is, after all, a maximalist at the core. Elements of innerwear, like lace bodysuits worn unsnapped, nod to the theme of the collection, while high-waisted bottoms and other looks clearly reference 70s fashion.
The Bags of Valentino Fall 2025
The bags are a continuation of the shapes and themes presented for Spring, with new iterations of the Nellcôte Bag sitting alongside the Viva Superstar and the Vain bag. As for newness, a mix of relaxed carryalls and more structured bags was presented in neutral hues and exotics alike.
While Michele is not one to shy away from embellishment, with rivets and studs seen throughout the collection, at Michele’s Valentino, the Rockstud, it seems, is dead.
The clothes are interesting but the bags are just ugly – every bag has a V but not in an attractive way
Like Louis Vuitton 😆
Uh, you would definitely get attention but not in a good way.
The bags look old and used.
I need to see these in the wild. I see concepts from YSL and Michael Kors. I don’t know.
Wow! Ugly and boring!