Valentino presented its Fall-Winter 2025/2026 collection at the recent Paris Fashion Week, under the creative direction of Alessandro Michele, in one of the most talked-about and daring fashion shows of the season. Entitled “Le Méta-Théâtre des Intimités,” the presentation transformed a seemingly banal place-a reconstructed public bathroom-into a space charged with symbolic meanings, a counter-place that defies convention and dissolves the dualisms between public and private, intimate and exposed.
Michele, in his second ready-to-wear show for the fashion house, chose a provocative set design: a huge public bathroom illuminated by red lights, with rows of cubicles that served as a catwalk. This “dystopian, uncanny, Lynchian space,” as the designer himself described it, was not just an aesthetic whim, but an exploration of the concept of intimacy as performance. Guests were welcomed into an atmosphere that evoked both voyeurism and authenticity, prompting questions about how we construct our identity through the clothes and spaces we inhabit.
The Fall-Winter 2025 2026 collection is an eclectic journey through eras and styles, with looks that ranged from the 1930s to the 1980s, mixing classic Valentino codes with Michele’s maximalist and personal aesthetic. Iconic elements of the fashion house – such as polka dots, ruffles and Valentino red – returned, but reinterpreted through a contemporary filter.
We saw tailored jackets edged in satin, cream day dresses with black lace details, and sumptuous evening gowns in transparent tulle, often accompanied by wide-brimmed hats that evoked a retro elegance.
Michele drew heavily from Valentino’s archives, but reinterpreted them with a touch of theatricality: each model seemed to embody a character, from the 1930s debutante to the 1980s socialite to more bohemian and eccentric figures.
The heart of the collection lies in the idea of intimacy as construction, a theme Michele explored not only through the clothes, but also with the choice of location.
With this collection, Alessandro Michele seems to want to push Valentino toward a more experimental future, while maintaining a dialogue with the maison’s glorious past.
Valentino’s Fall Winter 2025 2026 fashion show was an experience that does not leave one indifferent: a bold exploration of identity and intimacy that, even with some imperfections, confirms Michele’s ability to transform fashion into a complex and poetic language.
